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Moose Lake

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Lake name:
Moose Lake
Location:
Alberta
HydroLAKE ID:
48
Latitude:
54.2511111
Longitude:
-110.9069444
Basin type:
non-reservoir
Primary vegetation for nesting:
Schoenoplectus
Management agency:
Alberta Environment, Alberta Parks
Lake use:
recreation
Region associations:
Moose Lake Provincial Park, Moose Lake Watershed, Muriel Lake
Comments:
A very busy lake with recreationists and residents, it has ongoing issues with harmful algal blooms.

Summary of Surveys (8)

Survey Citation:
COSEWIC. 2014. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. 55 pp. www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/default_e.cfm

  • Type
    shore; boat; air
  • Time period
    1970, 2011
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 101 to 500 400 1970-1990
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 ? 2011
Max Nests N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Nests N/A N/A N/A
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

From Table A.2, maximum counts of breeding Western grebes from surveys mostly conducted during nesting season from June and July (sourced from Wilson, A. and Smith, P.A. 2013. Distribution and population status of Western Grebes in Canada. Unpublished report for the Canadian Wildlife Service). Stated as 20 year chunks: 1970 - 1990 and 1991 - 2011 without breaking those down into years or other details. Considered a large deep lake.

Survey Citation:
Erickson, M. E. 2010. Persistence and abundance of the western grebe in Alberta. Dissertation. University of Alberta. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Same lakes and abundance estimated were checked against Erickson, M. E., C. Found-Jackson, and M. S. Boyce. 2017. Habitat associations with counts of declining western grebes in Alberta, Canada. Avian Conservation and Ecology. 12(1):12. Appendix to Erickson et al 2014 is unavailable but presumed to be the same list of lakes and abundance estimates.

  • Type
    air
  • Time period
    19 June 2008, 18 August 2008
  • Source
    Dissertation
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 501 to 1000 649 2008
Most Recent Adults 501 to 1000 649 2008
Max Nests N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Nests N/A N/A N/A
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

From Table B.1 and Table C.1, survey method and date for 2008 field season, and latest abundance estimate from 2008 (based on brood count), which is the same as maximum abundance estimate. Source of maximum abundance estimate is from the 2008 field data. 19 June data is from ASRD, 4 July data from helicopter survey, and 18 August survey is from a brood count.

Survey Citation:
Found, C. and A. Hubbs. 2004. Survey of Colonial Nesting Birds and Lakeshore Habitats in Northeast Alberta. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Species at Risk Report No. 88, Edmonton, AB. 32 pp.

  • Type
    shore; boat; air
  • Time period
    29 June 2003, 14 July 2003
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 501 to 1000 600 1991
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 25 2003
Max Nests 101 to 500 300 1991
Most Recent Nests 101 to 500 300 1991
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

Young were present but no count and no nest count. According to Table 10 Historic information on breeding populations of western grebes on lakes in Northeast Alberta, Moose Lake's breeding adult numbers are unknown in 2003. The other two years' historical numbers are sourced from (Hanus 2002) and is number of nests X 2. I divided by 2 the historical adult numbers in Table 10 for the historical nest numbers.

Survey Citation:
Prescott, D. R. C., J. Unruh, S. Morris-Yasinski, and M. Wells. 2018. Distribution and abundance of the western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) in Alberta: an update. Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Policy Branch, Alberta Species at Risk Report No. 160, Edmonton, AB. 23 pp.

  • Type
    boat
  • Time period
    1900, 2016
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 501 to 1000 649 2008
Most Recent Adults 101 to 500 230 2016
Max Nests 1 to 100 presence 1900, 1989-1991, 2003-2009, 2015, 2016
Most Recent Nests 1 to 100 presence 2016
Max Chicks 1 to 100 presence? 1900, 1989-1991, 2003-2009, 2015, 2016
Most Recent Chicks 1 to 100 presence? 2016

Comments:

Sources are eBird (accessed Nov 2015 and Dec 2016), AESRD and ACA (2013), FWMIS (Accessed Nov 2015 including field surveys from 2015 and 2016), Found and Hubbs 2004, Kemper et al. 2008, Wollis and Stratmoen 2010, Erickson 2010, Found 2004, and Hanus 2002. This report is an update of Western grebe distribution in Alberta based on previous provincial status reports, additional breeding records (between May 1 to August 31) through end of 2014 from new sources. Lakes were visited in 2015 and 2016 for occupancy and habitat conditions. In a given year, if there are multiple sources of data, the highest count was given. From the Appendix, I entered only lakes (67) with evidence of breeding (either chicks or nests, but doesn't specify which and no nest nor chick numbers provided). Otherwise, 318 lakes supported adult grebe populations. This report compiled a list of 35 priority lakes for grebe surveys and management actions through the provincial recovery plan based on high population and habitat scores. New lakes with breeding reveal a changing system of lake occupancy and possibly higher populations than previously thought in Alberta.

Survey Citation:
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development and Alberta Conservation Association. 2013. Status of the western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) in Alberta: Update 2012. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development. Alberta Wildlife Status Report No. 60 (Update 2012). Edmonston, AB. 48 pp.

  • Type
    boat
  • Time period
    2008
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 501 to 1000 549 2008
Most Recent Adults 501 to 1000 549 2008
Max Nests N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Nests N/A N/A N/A
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

Data from Table 1 ("Summary of lakes in Alberta supporting western grebe colonies of over 200 breeding birds, adapted from Hanus 2002) and Table 2 ("Most recent abundance estimates from known western grebe breeding lakes in Alberta based on structured surveys; at some lakes, more recent observations have been made but these were not complete counts"). Table 1 is divided into categories of lakes with 1000+ birds and lakes with 200 to 999 birds and not specific count numbers so minimum/maximum are not exact and are ranges. Table 2 data is from Erickson 2010. Estimates of western grebe numbers are a minimum estimate for that year derived from nest counts (x2 for breeding adult numbers) or boat surveys of adult grebes, using highest estimate. According to Table 4, the 2008 count is ~6% of estimated proportion of provincial population. There is significant boating activity (H. Wollis, pers. comm.). This lake is considered regionally important for breeding grebes and has a high amount of recreational activity.

Survey Citation:
Wollis, H., and C. Stratmoen. 2010. Population study of western grebes in Alberta 2001-2009: Implications for management and status designation. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish and Wildlife Division, Alberta Species at Risk Report No. 138. Edmonton, AB. 18 pp.

  • Time period
    1990, 2008
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 101 to 500 400 1990
Most Recent Adults 101 to 500 353 2008
Max Nests N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Nests N/A N/A N/A
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

This report is a continuation of a western grebe monitoring project started in 2001 to survey colonies in Alberta and assess population trends and distribution. Known and new colonies were searched for each year through 2009. This entry is from Table 1 and Table 2 comparing most recent estimate of # adults with highest estimate year.

Survey Citation:
Beyersbergen, G. W., W. A. Calvert, R. C. Bazin, S. J. Barry, and B. A. Gingras. 2009. Spatial and temporal distribution and abundance of the Franklin’s gull in the Canadian Prairie Provinces: 2005–2007. Canadian Wildlife Service Technical Report Series Number 504, Prairie and Northern Region. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

  • Type
    shore; boat
  • Time period
    May 2007, June 2007
  • Source
    Report
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 1 to 100 11 2007
Most Recent Adults 1 to 100 11 2007
Max Nests N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Nests N/A N/A N/A
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

This report was focused on Franklin's gull colonies but other waterbirds, such as western grebes, were counted as nesting in association with them. These are minimum counts of western grebes and not the target species so uncertain if this entry should be included.

Survey Citation:
Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2021. Management Plan for the western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) in Canada [Proposed]. Species at Risk Act Management Plan Series. Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa. 5 iv + 52 pp.

  • Time period
    2008, 2016
  • Source
    Management plan
  • Both Western and Clarks?
    N
Count Type Range Max Year
Max Adults 501 to 1000 649 2008
Most Recent Adults 101 to 500 230 2016
Max Nests N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Nests N/A N/A N/A
Max Chicks N/A N/A N/A
Most Recent Chicks N/A N/A N/A

Comments:

From Appendix B, data columns are historical high count, high count since 2000, and most recent count. Since minimum count was not stated, I entered the minimum from these columns though it might not be the actual minimum across the span of years reported. Also, there is no detail on years that were excluded from surveying so range of survey years may be inaccurate. Footnote for this lake indicates that for 2015 to 2016, breeding was confirmed, potential habitat was available, and lake was occupied by Western grebes. Sources are Prescott et al., 2018 and Alberta Environment and Parks, 2018.

Sources of Information

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