CHANUTE ? Abundant moisture, combined with management activities, produced palpable moist-soil vegetation at Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area, near Pleasanton.

Good moist-soil food production almost always translates to good waterfowl hunting, so in contrast to the last several drought years, Marais des Cygnes River discharge looks adequate for sustained pumping to flood marshes that have artificial water supply.

Unfortunately, warm and dry conditions in late summer have lowered water levels in marshes that cannot be pumped and thus rely on runoff, and these wetlands need help from fall rains. This is particularly critical for Unit B, the primary refuge unit.

Wetland conditions on adjacent Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge are good and this should provide additional refuge habitat to help hold waterfowl in the area.

Overall, the forecast for southeast Kansas is for good habitat that should provide good hunting. With fall rain, the forecast easily could improve.

Unseasonably cool summer temperatures and near normal precipitation provided noteworthy growing conditions for moist–soil vegetation and row crops within and around the Neosho Wildlife Area, near St. Paul, as well.

The last month of summer was much drier than normal, however, and this had a negative impact on the special teal season.

Still, vegetation in all the hunting pools is considered to be very good, although the water level of the Refuge Pool continues to drop on a daily basis due to wind and lack of rain.

Normal precipitation throughout the eastern third of the state this fall and early winter should set the table for a very good waterfowl season. A significant cold front and snow cover in the Dakotas and Nebraska sometime during our season could really benefit Kansas waterfowlers.

Elk City Wildlife Area reports much the same weather conditions. The area had abundant spring and early summer moisture, with notable moist-soil vegetation in wetland developments and crops in the adjacent agricultural fields, but drought prevailed in August and September.

All units in this area fill by runoff, and the dry weather increases the amount of rain required to fill them. Historically at Elk City, as is the case at most reservoirs, waterfowl hunting improves as water levels rise in the fall, flooding shoreline vegetation.

The Corps of Engineers completed some required maintenance on the reservoir outlet this summer, so water levels were held at a somewhat higher level than normal. However, due to dry weather, this had minimal negative effect on most shoreline vegetation.