Rainwater Basin Wetland Complex Annual Habitat Survey Document and Survey Areas 2004-2015

The Rainwater Basin wetland complex (RWB) provides critical spring migration habitat for millions of waterfowl annually. As the region was settled, the abundant wetlands were drained for agricultural purposes. The ephemeral nature of these wetlands and lack of contemporary data prompted the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture to acquire aerial photography on an annual basis. Imagery was collected during peak waterfowl migration in the spring of 2004 and annually from 2006 to 2015. These years characterize a wide range of high plains climactic variability, ranging from drought to flooding. Analyses of these data have provided new insight into the distribution, function, and habitat provided by RWB wetlands. These data documented that [...]