WICHITA, Kan. - More than 5 inches of rain fell over the weekend, bringing the parched Quivira National Wildlife Refuge back to life. Barry Jones, a specialist at the refuge in Stafford County, says the basins there held no water until the rains began on Thursday and fell through Sunday. Jones says more than 8,000 ducks swooped into the refuge while the rains filled nearly every basin. Rattlesnake Creek, which feeds the wetlands, was flowing again after not flowing for months. The Wichita Eagle reports (http://bit.ly/SHfvuB ) the rain provides hope that the birds will arrive for their annual fall migration, which also draws thousands of tourists to the refuge.
The state's other national wildlife refuge, Cheyenne Bottoms in Barton County, received about 1 1/2 inches of rain during the weekend.