An 88-mile segment of Interstate 29, between Mound City, Missouri, and Council Bluffs, Iowa, runs across the broad, flat floodplain of the Missouri River. This ecosystem is a mosaic of crop fields, lakes, wetlands, canals, tributaries and riparian woodlands. Red-tailed hawks are usually common along the highway, the massive nests of bald eagles are evident in some of the larger trees and waterfowl are often abundant on the open waters or flying overhead, especially during seasonal migrations. Indeed, Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge, renowned for its spectacular flocks of migrant snow geese, is just south of Mound City.
So, having driven this road in both directions over the past few days, I was shocked not to observe a single duck or goose. Only adding to my personal impatience with the tardy waterfowl migration, their complete absence on the floodplain was disturbing..
Perhaps this observation merely reflects relatively warm conditions across northern latitudes, yet another sign of climate change. Maybe the waterfowl were concentrated closer to the river on the west side of the floodplain. But those of us concerned about our unrelenting assault on the health of natural ecosystems cannot shake the conviction that we humans are slowly degrading the planet.
