Sidebar: Waterfowl and rice in California's Central Valley

Abstract Not Available – First paragraph follows: Wetlands of California's Central Valley historically held one of the largest concentrations of wintering waterfowl in the world. In wet winters, some 2 million to 4 million acres of seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands were flooded in the Valley...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:California Agriculture
Main Authors: F Reid, M Heitmeyer
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources 1995
Subjects:
S
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3733/ca.v049n06p62
https://doaj.org/article/e128719266464f34ad5c87c702d86d04
Description
Summary:Abstract Not Available – First paragraph follows: Wetlands of California's Central Valley historically held one of the largest concentrations of wintering waterfowl in the world. In wet winters, some 2 million to 4 million acres of seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands were flooded in the Valley. It is estimated that as many as 40 million to 50 million waterfowl once funneled down the Pacific Flyway — from the arctic tundra of the Northwest Territories, the boreal forests of Alaska, the prairies of Canada, and the alkaline flats of the Great Basin — to the Central Valley. As recently as the 1970s, some 10 million to 12 million swans, geese, and ducks wintered in or migrated through California; large numbers of other waterbirds such as shore-birds, cranes, wading birds, rails, grebes and gulls also came.