Habitat selection, productivity, and estimation of available nesting habitat for piping plovers on Lake Sakakawea

Lake Sakakawea is a large (404,810 ac [163,800 ha]) reservoir located on the Missouri River in northwestern and central North Dakota, which recently was designated a high priority area for endangered species management. The reservoir shoreline is irregular, dissected, and consists of a wide variety of substrates, slopes, and aspects. The extent, distribution, and abundance of these features vary annually as lake elevation changes in response to precipitation, melt of Rocky Mountain snowpack, and releases from Garrison and Fort Peck dams. Water levels on Lake Sakakawea have declined over the past decade due to extended drought conditions; in 2005 they reached a record low since the initial flooding of the reservoir. Declining lake levels [...]