Photo by Meghan Marchetti, DWR
Better habitat for ducks is paying off at Princess Anne WMA.
WMA Supervisor Evan Shearer reports seeing “an uptick” in ducks this year—in fact, many more than previous years. He credits upgrades to pump stations, water control structures, and water delivery systems for more efficient flooding of the impoundments. This allows Shearer more time for other important work, such as planting food crops like millet and corn, and restoring native plants to the 1,546 acre wetland habitat.
The upgrades to Princess Anne began in 2016 and were funded through a partnership with Ducks Unlimited, the Virginia Migratory Waterfowl Stamp Fund, and other donations.
Princess Anne WMA is a popular eastern Virginia wildlife viewing destination, and an important stopover for migratory birds and waterfowl. This time of year the WMA is managed as a wildlife refuge six days a week, and is hunted through a managed quota hunt one day a week. For more info: https://dwr.virginia.gov/wma/princess-anne/