Flooding Risk Assessment for Nests of Imperiled Shorebirds in South Texas

This project aims to: 1. Assess the risk of flooding to nesting sites for Snowy Plover (Anarhynchus nivosus) and Wilson’s Plover (A. wilsonia) identified by CBBEP monitoring and 2. Identify suitable nesting areas outside the CBBEP monitoring sites that have low risk of nest flooding and recommend areas where management and conservation benefits would be highest.

Populations of Snowy Plovers and Wilson’s Plovers are declining across their range, prompting their classification as Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Texas.

CBBEP has been monitoring nesting Wilson’s Plover and Snowy Plovers to identify and guide management actions that could maintain or increase their nesting success, including the establishment of exclusion zones and placement of signage within recreational areas. However, effective management strategies for these species are hindered by a lack of spatial tools that identify high- and low-value areas for nesting, particularly tools that integrate quantitative assessments of flooding risk, a substantial cause of nest failure.

Identifying areas with a lower risk of flooding will support the prioritization of areas for management strategies and investment and allow resources to be shifted towards areas with longer-term benefits to nesting birds.