Wildlife Affected By Flooding In Oklahoma

The effect of floodwaters on property, roads and communities is often the primary focus after a natural disaster. But Oklahoma 

is also home to wildlife that can be 

affected as well.

 

In some cases, the extra water can even be beneficial to wildlife populations, said 

Dwayne Elmore, Oklahoma State University Extension wildlife specialist and 

 

Bollenbach Chair in OSU’s Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management.

“Amphibians such as frogs will benefit from the heavy rains due to prolonged standing water in ponds and wetlands, which allows time for larvae to mature,” Elmore said. “Aquatic turtles also can be helped with the additional habitat that has been created. The flip side to this is road mortality. Watch for increased numbers of turtles on the roads and avoid hitting them when possible.”

 

Flooding can be both a boon and burden to fish populations. Flood waters create important fish habitat and many fish benefit when the rivers run high. However, too much water at the wrong time can destroy fish nests, and fish also can get stranded once flood waters recede.

 

Floodwaters can destroy the nests of ground-nesting birds such as wild turkeys and quail. This can negatively affect not only the fowl but related human activities such as hunting – if turkey and quail populations drop, hunting becomes more challenging. Relatively large wildlife such as deer can likewise be affected.

 

One of the positive aspects of the excess water can be its impact on vegetation. As the floodwaters recede, the moisture can benefit plant growth. More vegetation of the right type means more food resources for various species of wildlife.