USACE bald eagle surveys taking place at Mississippi lakes

From the USACE Vicksburg District:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Vicksburg District’s north Mississippi lakes will each hold their midwinter bald eagle survey, Eagle Watch, in January.

The Grenada Lake Eagle Watch will take place Jan. 10 from 8 a.m. to noon. Volunteers will meet at the Grenada Lake conference room, located across the street from the visitor center, before the survey begins.

The Arkabutla Lake Eagle Watch will take place Jan. 11 from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Volunteers will meet at the Arkabutla Lake Field Office before the survey begins. After the survey, volunteers are invited to return to the field office for a live Birds of Prey program presented by Mississippi Wildlife Rehabilitation.

The Enid Lake Eagle Watch was held Jan. 7 from 7 a.m. to noon. Information about the Sardis Lake Eagle Watch is forthcoming.

During the surveys, district park rangers and natural resources management specialists work with volunteers to survey areas around the lake for eagles. Participants use binoculars to bird watch and record sightings of both mature and immature eagles. Population numbers are recorded on forms and reported to USACE.

The purpose of the survey is to gather data on the eagle population’s trends, distribution and habitats. The survey also generates public interest in eagles and their conservation. The bald eagle was removed from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s federal endangered species list in 2007.

Arkabutla, Enid, Sardis and Grenada lakes, the four Mississippi flood control reservoirs in the Vicksburg District’s area of responsibility, were authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1936, which provided a plan designed to address flooding that originated in the Yazoo Basin. The four reservoirs are used to hold runoff, or excess rainwater, as a flood-prevention measure. With approximately 3.2 million visitors each year, the North Mississippi lakes also contribute approximately $82 million into the local economy.