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Show Significant production of waterfowl also occurs in these areas. Avian Surveys, Studies and Information GSL is the largest permanent saline lake in the United States and is a critical habitat area for birds. There are many bird surveys conducted on and around GSL to answer specific questions such as total numbers present, peak season use, species use and habitat relationships. A waterbird survey coordinated by DWR GSLEP is the most extensive to date. It began in 1997 and is projected to continue until 2001. The count examines total number of waterbirds over time and relates this data to habitats. In addition, there is an enormous amount of information and research ( published and non- published) available on the flora and fauna of GSL. A complete literature search is currently being conducted and compiled by USU and GSLEP. This project is seeking research papers on brine shrimp in natural systems, limnology of saline lakes, avifauna ecology of hypersaline lakes in the Western Hemisphere and research on GSL. A bibliography will be available in the future. The Utah Natural Heritage Program is a central repository for information about Utah's biodiversity including animal and plant communities. This program was initiated by TNC in 1988. The program was transferred to the state in 1991 and is currently partially funded by DWR. The program's mission is to collect information about Utah species and plant communities in a standardized and easily retrievable way and provide this information for natural resource management decision- makers. The Utah GAP analysis program is comprised of a geographic information system ( GIS) that includes map layers of habitat types, vegetation, wildlife distribution and other resources. This information can be utilized to investigate spatial relationships of resources and to track changes or trends in wildlife distribution and habitat utilization. Many master's and doctoral dissertations have been completed on the ecology of GSL and are kept at the universities where the research was originally funded. These publications will be included in the bibliography prepared by DWR and USU. Recently completed and ongoing research includes the following efforts: Pacific Flyway Shorebird Project ( Point Reyes Bird Observatory) Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Bird Abundance Surveys ( USFWS) Canada Goose Banding ( DWR) Pacific Flyway Duck Banding ( DWR) Great Salt Lake Botulism Study ( USU) Mechanisms for coexistence of two swan species at varying spatial scales ( USU) Interactive pathways in wetland ecosystems ( USU) Restoring breeding bird population to Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge ( USU) Brine Shrimp Population Dynamics ( USU) Brine Shrimp Populations and Lake Limnology ( DWR & USGS) Salinity Model/ Patterns in the GSL ( USGS, DNR, Tooele County) Bioenergetics of the eared grebe ( DWR, USU) Population Status of the eared grebe ( DWR) Water Quality and Contaminant Research ( USFWS & FFSL) Food Chain Ecology on the Great Salt Lake ( USU) Mid- Winter Eagle Count Snowy Plover Surveys ( 1996- Weekly/ Summer; American Birding Association) Spatial/ Temporal Avian Census of the Great Salt Lake ( DWR and cooperators) 81 |