Delta Ponds, 1995 - Laserfiche WebLink

New Search

Southern Willamette Ornithological Club (SWOC) has sighted various animals in the ponds area although no official counts have been done. Listed sightings include: nutria, Norway rat, raccoon, opossum, mole, vole, field mouse, gray squirrel, and garter and gopher snakes. The Department of Fish and Wildlife indicates that many beaver also reside in the ponds. SWeGw►has has co also done its official annual Christmas bird unts in the Delta Ponds area, sighting from 35 to 52 species in various year Results of actual counts are included in Appendix 1. Neighborhood wildlife watchers also report foxes, herons, and a pair of owls, a ll of which are unusual in an urban area. Encroaching development in the vicinity of the vcrds may force these species to find new outside terri- tories where human presence is less intrusive. Delta Ponds, being a :ormer riverbed, has soils consistent with that fact: river rock and grave'_, sand and silt deposits. Decomposed vegetation mixed with the former components has formed topsoil as well as matt and fill within the ponds. ydroloRy The most important factor in the preservation and development of'the Delta Ponds as a public facility is.the direction and amount of w + ater flow .through the pond system. The entire system is deteriorating nd i g s in danger of being destroyed. Because of past filling of the ponds near the Willamette River, percolation from the river, the primary source of water to the ponds J has been diminished. ' As a result of decreased water flow, the ponds are gradually being filled in as aquatic plant life slowly chokes them. Concomi- tant rising water termperatures due to slower flow and shallow water contri- - 3 bute to the situation. Some sections of the ponds dry up during the summe ' In addition, beaver are occasionally y a r � � I problem as the y plug the culverts with