Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area
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The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area is located within the
Yolo Bypass The Yolo Bypass is one of the two flood bypasses in California's Sacramento Valley located in Yolo and Solano Counties. Through a system of weirs, the bypass diverts floodwaters from the Sacramento River away from the state's capital city of Sac ...
in
Yolo County, California Yolo County (; Wintun: ''Yo-loy''), officially the County of Yolo, is a county located in the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 216,403. Its county seat is Woodland. Yolo County is incl ...
. The wildlife area is managed by the
California Department of Fish and Wildlife The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), formerly known as the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), is a state agency under the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages and protect ...
with the intent of restoring and managing a variety of wildlife habitats in the Yolo Basin, a natural basin in the north part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The creation of the wildlife area was spearheaded by th
Yolo Basin Foundation
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Yolo Basin Foundation are the core partners in the operation of this unique community resource. Located at


History

The wildlife area was open to the public in 1997 after extensive restoration efforts completed by
Ducks Unlimited Ducks Unlimited (DU) is an American nonprofit organization 501(c) dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. It has had a membership of around 700,000 since January 2013. ...
with federal funds appropriated through the
United States Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...
. In 1999, this restoration project was named the
Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area The Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area is a wetland restoration project constructed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and Ducks Unlimited within the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area located in the Yolo Bypass in Yolo County, California, between the ...
in honor of congressman
Vic Fazio Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense) ...
who lobbied hard for the funds needed to build the project. In 2001 the wildlife area expanded to over with the acquisition of the Glide and Los Rios properties. These acquisitions included the Tule Ranch, a working cattle ranch with extensive vernal pool areas.


Habitats, Flora, & Fauna

Most wetland on the wildlife area are managed as seasonal
wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
. They go through an extensive dry period during the spring and summer months. Typically these ponds are drained April 1 to stimulate the germination of Swamp Timothy. They may receive a brief summer irrigation and then are flooded in September to provide wetland habitat for migratory waterfowl and shorebirds. Permanent wetlands are flooded year round and tend to be deeper and have more emergent vegetation. These ponds provide important brood water for resident aquatic birds such as
mallards The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced species, introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Bra ...
, common moorhens and pied-billed grebes. They also provide drinking water for wildlife as well as relief from intense summer heat. This habitat is used extensively for roosting by black-crowned night herons,
egrets Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same build ...
, and
white-faced ibis The white-faced ibis (''Plegadis chihi'') is a wading bird in the ibis family, Threskiornithidae. This species breeds colonially in marshes, usually nesting in bushes or low trees. Its breeding range extends from the western United States south ...
. The
giant garter snake The giant garter snake (''Thamnophis gigas'') is the largest species of garter snake. Relatively rare, it is a semi-aquatic snake with a limited distribution in the wetlands of central California. Description The giant garter snake is the larges ...
also occurs in this habitat. Upland habitats are used extensively by ground nesting birds such northern harriers, western meadowlarks, mallards and ring-necked pheasant. Vegetation is typically dominated by annual rye grass, curly dock and wild sunflower. Rodent populations in these areas provide prey for large numbers of wintering
birds of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predators ...
. Approximately of natural uplands occur in the southwest portion of the wildlife area. There are several
vernal pools Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are seasonal pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. They are considered to be a distinctive type of wetland usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe ...
in this area that are home to such invertebrate species as tadpole shrimp,
clam shrimp Clam shrimp are a group of bivalved branchiopod crustaceans that resemble the unrelated bivalved molluscs. They are extant and also known from the fossil record, from at least the Devonian period and perhaps before. They were originally classifi ...
and the endangered
conservancy fairy shrimp The conservancy fairy shrimp (''Branchinecta conservatio'') is a small crustacean in the family Branchinectidae. It ranges in size from about to long. Fairy shrimp are aquatic species in the order Anostraca. They have delicate elongate bodies, ...
. Rare and endangered plants include Heckert's pepperweed and Ferris' alkali milk vetch. Grassland bird species in this area include
grasshopper sparrow The grasshopper sparrow (''Ammodramus savannarum'') is a small New World sparrow. It belongs to the genus '' Ammodramus,'' which contains three species that inhabit grasslands and prairies. Although sometimes found in crop fields and they will re ...
,
Savannah sparrow The Savannah sparrow (''Passerculus sandwichensis'') is a small New World sparrow. It was the only member of the genus '' Passerculus'' and is typically the only widely accepted member. Comparison of mtDNA NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 and 3 sequ ...
and
burrowing owl The burrowing owl (''Athene cunicularia''), also called the shoco, is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or an ...
. Riparian vegetation consists of willows, cottonwoods, black walnut and other tree species. Nesting species here include Swainson's hawks, great-horned owls, wood ducks,
tree swallows The tree swallow (''Tachycineta bicolor'') is a Bird migration, migratory bird of the family Hirundinidae. Found in the Americas, the tree swallow was first described in 1807 by French ornithologist Louis Vieillot as ''Hirundo bicolor''. It has ...
, and black phoebe. This habitat is very important for neo-tropical migrants such as blue grosbeak, ash-throated flycatchers, and a variety of warbler species. Most
riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks ar ...
vegetation is located along
Putah Creek Putah Creek (Patwin: ''Liwaito'') is a major stream in Northern California, a tributary of the Yolo Bypass, and ultimately, the Sacramento River. The creek has its headwaters in the Mayacamas Mountains, a part of the Coast Range, and flows ...
in the central part of the wildlife area.


Other uses


Flood control

The
Yolo Bypass The Yolo Bypass is one of the two flood bypasses in California's Sacramento Valley located in Yolo and Solano Counties. Through a system of weirs, the bypass diverts floodwaters from the Sacramento River away from the state's capital city of Sac ...
is a
flood control channel Flood control channels are large and empty basins which let water flow in and out (except during flooding) or dry channels that run below the street levels of some larger cities, so that if and when a flood occurs, the water will run into these ch ...
that protects Sacramento and other cities from flooding. The wildlife area was created with the understanding that it would remain completely compatible with this primary flood control function. For this reason, there are restrictions on the density of emergent vegetation and riparian trees within the wildlife area. These standards are determined through the use of hydrological models. Located at the north end of the Yolo Basin where
Putah Creek Putah Creek (Patwin: ''Liwaito'') is a major stream in Northern California, a tributary of the Yolo Bypass, and ultimately, the Sacramento River. The creek has its headwaters in the Mayacamas Mountains, a part of the Coast Range, and flows ...
enters the
Yolo Bypass The Yolo Bypass is one of the two flood bypasses in California's Sacramento Valley located in Yolo and Solano Counties. Through a system of weirs, the bypass diverts floodwaters from the Sacramento River away from the state's capital city of Sac ...
, this part of the Delta is known as the Putah Sinks and hosts a diverse assemblage of wildlife species inhabiting seasonal wetlands, permanent wetlands, riparian forest, uplands, vernal pools and agricultural habitats.


Agriculture

An interesting feature of the wildlife area is the extensive use of agriculture to achieve its wildlife habitat goals, while providing important operating income. In the northern portions of the wildlife area, rice is grown, which is then flooded after harvest, attracting thousands of waterfowl and shorebirds in full view of the thousands of automobiles on Interstate 80. Wildlife managers have instituted a
rotation Rotation, or spin, is the circular movement of an object around a '' central axis''. A two-dimensional rotating object has only one possible central axis and can rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. A three-dimensional ...
within the rice fields that allows for a fallow stage every three years. During this fallow stage, the field is managed for migratory shorebirds by flooding during the mid-summer months.


Public use

The wildlife area is open every day (except Christmas) for wildlife viewing and fishing. There are monthly tours on the second Saturday of each month conducted by volunteers from the Yolo Basin Foundation. Other public use opportunities are provided by the Yolo Basin Foundation and Fish and Wildlife including bat tours, open houses and a fall/winter speaker series. Hunting for waterfowl, pheasant and mourning dove is conducted in specific area by the
California Department of Fish and Wildlife The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), formerly known as the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), is a state agency under the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages and protect ...
during the fall and winter months. The "Discover the Flyway" environmental education program annually brings approximately 4,000 students per year to learn about wetlands and visit the wildlife area. California Duck Days is an annual wildlife festival held each February, which includes educational exhibits and field trips to observe wildlife. Other activities include trout fishing for children, a mobile aquarium and displays of live captive raptors.


Tule Ranch

This ranch was purchased in 2001 as part of a large expansion of the wildlife area. It had been owned by the Glide family for over 130 years. Since the acquisition, approximately of new wetlands have been restored on this property. The western portion of the Tule Ranch contains vernal pools within a mostly natural grassland. Spectacular wildflower displays occur in the spring. Some notable breeding grassland species include grasshopper sparrow, Savannah sparrow and western meadowlark. A prominent landmark in the area is the Umbrella Barn, a large wooden barn that is over 100 years old. The Tule Ranch is host to a large grazing program. Some fields are managed for maximum nutritional value in the form of legumes such as burr clover. These fields also provide important forage for migratory snow geese and white-fronted geese. Cattle are the primary management tool in the vernal pool habitat area. Their removal of thatch from the thick stands of annual rye grass help facilitate the germination of native forbs in this area, resulting in spectacular blooms of wildflowers each spring. At the very bottom of the Tule Ranch is the Fireman's Club, a square mile of property that contains a historic slough that once drained into the Yolo Basin. This section of land was hunted by the Dixon Fire District employees for many years in exchange for their emergency services to the ranch.


References


External links


Yolo Basin FoundationCalifornia Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area webpagePicasa: Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area images
{{Protected Areas of California, SWA Nature reserves in California California Department of Fish and Wildlife areas Protected areas of Yolo County, California Sacramento River