ORAL PRESENTATION CO-AUTHOR: Susan Foote-Martin (Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance) TITLE: Fifty years of water level, flora, and fauna changes at Goose Pond, Columbia Co., and what the future may hold ABSTRACT: Goose Pond is an isolated 60-acre prairie pothole surrounded by thousands of acres of cropland, formerly mesic prairie. Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance purchased the first tract in 1968, and, in 1970, it was designated a State Natural Area due to its high number of wetland bird species and individuals. The watershed comprises about 3,000 acres, and significant overland runoff from major storm events is the main water source, as the water table is far below the pond itself. Due to their shallow depth, most prairie potholes have historically held significant water for around nine of 10 years, dried up during drought for a year or two, and refilled. These conditions provide excellent habitat for diving ducks, dabbling ducks, marsh birds, and amphibians in most years, but climate change seems to be destabilizing this rhythm at Goose Pond, especially over the last decade. By far the highest water level was observed in 2019, but no water or low water was the norm from 2021 to 2025. Low water often trades diving ducks for an increase in dabbling ducks and shorebirds, but waterbirds of all kinds vacate Goose Pond if it dries completely. Although frog and toad populations appear stable, the eastern tiger salamander population has greatly decreased. Muskrats have been extirpated, and this has probably negatively impacted species that nest on their houses, like Sandhill Cranes and Canada Geese. River bulrush, a persistent emergent that provides quality nesting structure (though only if water is present), has been expanding in the past five years. Changing precipitation patterns and warming temperatures (especially in winter) will continue to impact water levels, flora, and fauna, unless strategic management actions are taken. BIO: Mark Martin worked for the Wisconsin DNR as a wildlife research technician for 11 years and as a conservation biologist for 29 years with the State Natural Areas program. He is a certified wildlife biologist. Mark and his wife Susan have been the managers at Goose Pond since 1979 and were inducted into the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame in 2023. Mark holds a bachelor's degree in wildlife management from UW-Stevens Point.