UPPER BUTTE BASIN WILDLIFE AREA Final Land Management Plan Prepared for May 2012 California Wildlife Foundation Prepared by ESA, Steve Cordes (DFG), Donald Blake (DFG) r ESA _ ’LLUM __ Tina Bartlett Date Regional Manager Dan Yparraguirre Date Deputy Director TABLE OF CONTENTS 8SSHU%XWWH%DVLQ:LOGOLIH$UHD 3DJH I. Introduction I-1 $ 3XUSRVHRI$FTXLVLWLRQ ,7 % $FTXLVLWLRQ+LVWRU\ ,8 & $FTXLVLWLRQDQG5ROHRIWKH:LOGOLIH&RQVHUYDWLRQ%RDUG ,8 ' 3XUSRVHRIWKLV/DQG0DQDJHPHQW3ODQ ,9 ( 3ODQQLQJ3URFHVV ,9 ) (QYLURQPHQWDO$QDO\VLV ,10 * 5HODWLRQVKLSRIWKLV/DQG0DQDJHPHQW3ODQWR&$/)(' ,10 + 2UJDQL]DWLRQRIWKLV/DQG0DQDJHPHQW3ODQ , 11 II. Property Description and Management Setting II-1 $ *HRJUDSKLFDO6HWWLQJ ,, % &OLPDWH*HRORJ\6RLOVDQG+\GURORJ\ ,, & &XOWXUDO)HDWXUHV ,, ' (DVHPHQWVDQG5LJKWVRI:D\ ,, ( 3URSHUW\%RXQGDULHVDQG$GMDFHQW/DQG8VH ,, ) 0DQDJHPHQW6HWWLQJ ,, III. Habitat and Species Descriptions III-1 $ +DELWDW0DQDJHPHQW%DFNJURXQG ,,, % 9HJHWDWLRQ5HVRXUFHV ,,, & :LOGOLIH5HVRXUFHV ,,,4 ' )LVKHULHV5HVRXUFHV ,,,8 IV. Compatible Resource Management and Public Use IV-1 $ (YDOXDWLRQRI5HVRXUFH0DQDJHPHQWDQG3XEOLF8VH ,9 % 5HVRXUFH0DQDJHPHQW ,9 & 3XEOLF8VH ,9 ' :LOGOLIH$UHD5HJXODWLRQV ,9 ( *HQHUDO3XEOLF8VH$FWLYLWLHV ,9 ) +XQWLQJ)LUHDUPVDQG$UFKHU\(TXLSPHQWDQG3HUPLW5HTXLUHPHQWV ,9 * 6XSSRUWRI5HVRXUFH(QKDQFHPHQWDQG3XEOLF8VH ,9 + 5HJXODWLRQ$GMXVWPHQWV ,9 , 3XEOLF,QIRUPDWLRQ ,9 - &RRSHUDWLRQZLWK6WDNHKROGHUV ,9 V. Management Goals V-1 $ 'HILQLWLRQRI7HUPV8VHG,Q7KLV3ODQ 9 % *RDOVDQG7DVNVIRU(OHPHQWV 9 & (FRV\VWHPV*RDOV (* 9 ' 6SHFLHV*XLOG*RDOV 9 ( 6SHFLDO6WDWXV6SHFLHV*RDOV 9 8SSHU%XWWH%DVLQ:LOGOLIH$UHD L (6$ Final /DQG0DQDJHPHQW3ODQ January 2013 7DEOHRI&RQWHQWV 3DJH ) ,QYDVLYH6SHFLHV*RDOV 9 * &XOWXUDO5HVRXUFHV*RDOV 9 + 3XEOLF8VH*RDOV 9 , )DFLOLWLHV0DLQWHQDQFH*RDOV 9 - $GPLQLVWUDWLRQ*RDOV 9 . &RRUGLQDWLRQ*RDOV 9 VI. Operations and Maintenance VI-1 $ 2SHUDWLRQVDQG0DLQWHQDQFH7DVNVWR,PSOHPHQW3ODQ 9, % ([LVWLQJ6WDIIDQG$GGLWLRQDO3HUVRQQHO1HHGV 9,2 & (VWLPDWHG2SHUDWLRQ$QG0DLQWHQDQFH&RVWV$QG)XQGLQJ6RXUFHV 9, VII. Future Revisions to Plan VII-1 $ 0LQRU5HYLVLRQV 9,, % 0DMRU5HYLVLRQV 9,, & 3ODQ6WDWXV5HSRUWV 9,, ' &OLPDWH&KDQJH 9,, VIII. References VIII-1 Appendices $ 6SHFLHVRI8%%:$ $ % $FTXLVLWLRQ+LVWRU\DQG$JUHHPHQW % & (QYLURQPHQWDO5HYLHZ±12C,&RPPHQW/HWWHUVDQG5HVSRQVHWR&RPPHQW /HWWHUV & ' 6RLOVDW8%%:$ ' ( 3ODQW6SHFLHV.QRZQWR2FFXURQRU1HDUWKH8%%:$ ( ) 6SHFLDO6WDWXV6SHFLHV.QRZQWR2FFXURQRU1HDUWKH8%%:$ ) List of Figures 9LFLQLW\0DS ,4 8SSHU%XWWH%DVLQ:LOGOLIH$UHD ,5 /LWWOH'U\&UHHN8QLW ,, +RZDUG6ORXJK8QLW ,, /ODQR6HFR8QLW ,, /DQG&RYHU±/LWWOH'U\&UHHN8QLW ,,,7 /DQG&RYHU±+RZDUG6ORXJK8QLW ,,,8 /DQG&RYHU±/ODQR6HFR8QLW ,,,9 8SSHU%XWWH%DVLQ:LOGOLIH$UHD LL (6$ Final/DQG0DQDJHPHQW3ODQ January 2013 7DEOHRI&RQWHQWV 3DJH List of Tables &URVVZDON%HWZHHQ8%%:$&RPPXQLW\7\SHVDQG2WKHU9HJHWDWLRQ &ODVVLILFDWLRQVDW8%%:$ ,,, &136VSHFLDOVWDWXVSODQWVZKLFKRFFXURQRULQWKHYLFLQLW\RI8%%:$ ,,,20 6SHFLDO6WDWXV:LOGOLIH.QRZQRUZLWK3RWHQWLDOWR2FFXUDW8%%:$ ,,,8 )LVK6SHFLHVLQ%XWWH&UHHNDQGWKH8%%:$ ,,,9 6SHFLDO6WDWXV)LVK6SHFLHV3RWHQWLDOO\2FFXUULQJLQWKH8%%:$ ,,,2 2SHUDWLRQVDQG0DLQWHQDQFH5HTXLUHPHQWV KRXUVE\VWDIISRVLWLRQ WR ,PSOHPHQW3ODQ 9,6 6WDIILQJ&RVWV)RU,PSOHPHQWDWLRQ2I7KH8%%:$/03 9,10 (VWLPDWHG2SHUDWLRQDO&RVWV 9,10 Abbreviations and Acronyms $) DFUHIHHW %&09&' %XWWH&RXQW\0RVTXLWRDQG9HFWRU&RQWURO'LVWULFW %03 EHVWPDQDJHPHQWSUDFWLFH &$/)(' %D\'HOWDSURJUDP &$/)(')LQDO3(,6(,5 &$/)(')LQDO3URJUDPPDWLF(QYLURQPHQWDO,PSDFW Statement/Report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inal/DQG0DQDJHPHQW3ODQ January 2013 I. Introduction CHAPTER I Introduction The legislature of the State of California conferred all responsibility for the management of fish and wildlife within the State to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Department).1 As such the Department is the steward over wildlife within the State. One of the methods the Department uses to achieve the goals of its mission is the acquisition, development, and management of wildlife areas. Wildlife areas provide habitat for a wide array of plant and animal species, including many that are listed for protection under state and federal endangered species acts. Some of the state’s most important sites for wildlife conservation are designated Department wildlife areas. In the mid 1980’s there was a sharp decline in the number of waterfowl in North America and there was a desire to see that trend reversed. Representatives from many sectors of society including government (State and Federal), non-profit organizations, and academia convened to address the problem and develop a plan to correct it. As a result, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) was created. The Department became a signatory to the plan along with other Federal and non-profit organizations. Under the NAWMP, the Department agreed to actively participate in the restoration of North America’s waterfowl populations. One of the goals of the NAWMP was for the creation of Habitat Joint Ventures across the continent where efforts would be focused to improve waterfowl habitat. In California, the Central Valley Habitat Joint Venture (CVHJV) was created. The CVHJV is administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Other partners include public and private organizations such as the Department, Department of Water Resources, Ducks Unlimited, California Waterfowl Association, and the Audubon Society. The Central Valley of California has long been recognized as an important waterfowl wintering area because of its ample food supply and mild temperature. These attributes combine to support more than sixty percent of the waterfowl populations in the Pacific Flyway (Bellrose 1980). The CVHJV called for the creation of 120,000 acres of new wetlands and restoration or enhancement of an additional 750,000 acres of seasonal wetlands within the Central Valley. In 1988, as a step towards helping the CVHJV achieve some of the stated goals, the Department acquired property adjacent to the Butte Sink in the Sacramento Valley to form the Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area (UBBWA). This land was selected because the Butte Sink has been recognized for its importance to migratory waterfowl and has been ranked as the second most important waterfowl wintering ground in the conterminous United States. In addition, this area was targeted in the NAWMP for 1 At the direction of Assembly Bill 2402 (Huffman) and Governor Brown, the name of the California Department of Fish and Game has been changed to the "California Department of Fish and Wildlife" as of January 1, 2013. Literature citations prior to the change have retained the original reference throughout this document. Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area I-1 ESA / 204412 Final Land Management Plan January 2013 I. Introduction protection. The Butte Sink was once a wetland teeming with wildlife ranging from tule elk to waterfowl. Huge flocks of migratory waterfowl would spend the winter in the sink seeking food and shelter. Seeds and invertebrates, abundant in moist soil plant habitat, are important food sources. Vegetation growth is well supported at the area because water drains from surrounding areas and collects in low elevation sinks, creating conditions for natural wetland and riparian development. Frequent floods and slow drainage provides seasonally favorable conditions for wildlife species including waterfowl, shorebirds, neo-tropical migratory birds, resident songbirds, upland and big game species, and anadromous and resident fish species. The combination of historic early flooding and late drainage of the sink contributed to limited economic opportunities such as farming or other agricultural practices. Consequently, the majority of the land within the Butte Sink was left fallow or managed for wildlife habitat. Over time the Butte Sink ecosystem has been profoundly altered by human activity. Beginning in the mid 1800’s the adverse effects of hydraulic mining for gold upstream in the Sierra Nevada were prevalent, and tremendous accumulation of sediment in rivers and on floodplains occurred downstream of the mining. The demand for additional fertile agricultural land in the valley led to the implementation of large-scale reclamation and flood control projects to protect and enhance private lowlands. Levees and dams were eventually constructed to control flooding along the Sacramento River, Feather River, Butte Creek, the Cherokee Canal, and the northern end of the Butte Sink. More recently, the majority of lands adjacent to the Butte Sink were developed for grazing and farming. Wetland conservation is still occurring on private lands being managed as private waterfowl hunting clubs. The historic culture of waterfowl hunting continues to this day on private lands throughout the area. Many of the lands within the Butte Sink are managed