For immediate release: 8/23/06

To expand its conservation and restoration efforts ...
GRDA building waterfowl refuge, educational complex at Duck Creek

Ketchum – “So, why is the Grand River Dam Authority doing all that dirt work near Duck Creek?”

That question may have been posed many times around the Grand Lake area in recent months. After all, there has been a lot of heavy equipment on the site, located just east of Kahoot’s off Highway 85.

The answer is one that GRDA is proud to share with the public, because it not only marks a milestone in GRDA history, but it also promises a great educational resource for the Grand Lake area.

“It will be called the Duck Creek Waterfowl Refuge and Educational Complex,” said Townsend about the 55 acre site that marks the first waterfowl refuge ever constructed by GRDA. “It is being designed not only as waterfowl refuge for migratory waterfowl throughout the fall and winter, but it will also provide GRDA with an opportunity to educate area students about the waterfowl and wetlands in the area.”

When completed, Townsend said the area will consist of six different wetland units (similar to ponds) at varying elevations to accommodate the waterfowl. Throughout the complex there will also be several observational areas and at least two gazebo-type education platforms to enhance public viewing opportunities. A completion date for the project has not been determined yet.

“Several educational aspects will be incorporated into the complex,” said Townsend. “GRDA’s goal is to showcase each wetland area with detailed descriptions of all that can be observed. That list includes plants, soils, macro invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles and of course, fish and fowl.”

Townsend added that the educational platforms will be covered to provide visitors with shelter from spring rains and summer sun. “Those platforms and walkways will all be interconnected across the complex and will allow the creek to flow freely through the site,” he said.

Why build the complex?
In the summer of 2004, just a few months after Easley joined GRDA and the ecosystems department was established, GRDA met with representatives from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers to negotiate mitigation activities regarding unauthorized dozing and tree clearing activities conducted in 2003, by a lake area resident on approximately nine acres at the back of the Duck Creek arm of Grand Lake.

In October 2004, all parties agreed that a restoration of the site, which would involve planting approximate 2,000 new trees, was necessary to stabilize the shoreline in the affected area. GRDA began the wetland restoration efforts in the fall of 2004 and completed the plantings by February 2005.

However, in an effort to further demonstrate its commitment to protection and restoration of the natural resources of the Grand River system, GRDA acquired an additional 36 acres from the property owner, Mr. William Payne.

“We acquired this acreage to expand our conservation and restoration efforts and go beyond just the restoration of the affected area,” said GRDA Chief Executive Officer Kevin Easley. “That allowed us to construct the first ever waterfowl refuge in GRDA history and it’s exciting to watch this all take shape.”

Refuge enhanced by special water system
One aspect of the complex that GRDA has placed a top priority on is the water source. Townsend said GRDA will attempt to fill the wetland units via a large capacity well to be dug on site and is also exploring the establishment of a pump station at the lake.

“Traditionally, most constructed wetland areas are at the mercy of mother nature and require adequate rainfall at critical periods to provide the necessary resources for the migratory species,” said Townsend. “By utilizing a well or a pump station, GRDA will maximize its management options within each wetland unit. That means we won’t have to rely solely on weather conditions. We feel that will be a great advantage for the fish and fowl at the site.”

And that advantage will come into play year-round, said Townsend. “The ability to raise and lower the wetland levels will allow us to utilize moist-soil management practices that will promote the best and most desirable wetland vegetation.”

“We hope the establishment of this educational complex with this ‘water-on-demand’ system that will allow us to enhance and protect it year round demonstrates the priority GRDA places on its responsibility as a good steward of the resources of the Grand River system,” said Easley. “From the creation of our ecosystems department in 2004, through all the things it has accomplished since, GRDA has made the commitment to fulfilling that responsibility. We take a lot of pride in this complex, knowing it will be a tremendous asset for the lake area for years to come.”

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An aerial view of the ongoing construction at the site of GRDA's new Duck Creek Waterfowl Refuge and Educational Complex. When completed, the site will include six wetlands units for migratory waterfowl, as well as several educational venues for area students.

GRDA crews continue to move dirt and contour the landscape at the site of GRDA's new Duck Creek Waterfowl Refuge and Educational Complex on Grand Lake.

The sign marking the site of GRDA's new Duck Creek Waterfowl Refuge and Educational Complex