C\J 



rr 



O 



y. 



_i 

 < 

 O 



CALIFORNIA 



General description: The location and extent of the marshlands of California are 

 outlined by Mason ( 1957 ). They occur along and at the mouths of rivers, along 

 embayments and lake margins, and in poorly drained depressions and sumps. 

 Mason writes: 



Along the coast, large marshes occur around lagoons, bays, and estuaries. Notable 

 are those along the Humboldt County coast, especially around Humboldt Bay. Exten- 

 sive marshes occur around San Francisco Bay and along the estuaries and lowlands of 

 coastal southern California. Flanking the lower reaches of the Sacramento and San 

 Joaquin rivers and especially on their delta, extensive fresh-water marshes occur. 

 Farther up the valleys of these rivers their flood plains are characterized by vernally 

 wet alkaline marshes. Marshes are common along the Pit River in Modoc, Lassen, 

 and Shasta counties and in the intermontane basins of northeastern California. There 

 are also marshes in the Imperial Valley where water seeps to the surface, and along 

 the Colorado River. Many small habitats for marsh plants have been created artifi- 

 cially by local features of irrigation systems. Ponds and lakes are common in the 

 mountains; in the valleys the ponds and lakes usually reflect the meandering courses 

 which the rivers had before they were brought under control by diking. Minor topo- 

 graphic features contribute to the formation of vernal pools and mesas and in valleys. 

 Swamps in California are chiefly found in association with rivers. 

 The inland wetlands reported fall into the following major categories: sloughs 

 and marshes in the central valley system (Tule-Klamath Basin, Butte Basin, 

 Grasslands Water District); lagoons and lakes along the coast formed by sand 

 bars and dunes between headlands (Freshwater Lagoon, Lake Earl, Bodega 

 Head Marsh, and the San Joaquin Marsh; those that are regularly open to the 

 sea are not included in this report); sloughs and marshes in the desert basins 

 (Fish Slough, Deep Springs Marsh, the Salton Sea Wetlands); and smaller wet- 

 lands in the moist Coast Ranges (Darlingtonia Swampy Area, Duncan Mills 

 Marsh, Pitkin and Atascadero Creek Marshes, Laguna de Santa Rosa, Bennett 

 Mountain Lake), in the Central Valley ( Pixley Vernal Pools), and in the desert 

 basins (Afton Canyon, Deep Canyon, Carrizo Creek, Pushawalla Palms, 

 Saratoga Springs, Mohave Desert Camp, San Felipe Creek). 



Status of the wetlands: Most of the wetlands in the state have been subjected to 

 human disturbance of one kind or another and some of our respondents have 

 suggested that there are practically no wetlands remaining in their natural con- 

 dition. The major wetlands of the Central Valley represent mere fragments of 

 the formerly extensive "Tule Lakes." These and the marshes around the Salton 

 Sea are being managed for waterfowl by state and federal agencies and private 

 hunting clubs. Encroachments include drainage for agriculture, pollution with 

 pesticides, and disturbance by grazing. The vernal pools are being destroyed by 

 the plow. In the desert sites such as Afton Canyon and the Mohave Desert 

 Camp, the wetland habitat is being destroyed by motor vehicles. The Pushawalla 

 Palms are being damaged by vandals; Saratoga Springs, by recreational use. 

 Developments threaten, encroach, or pollute other sites such as Laguna de 

 Santa Rosa, Buena Vista Lagoon, the San Joaquin Marsh, Lake Earl; and dams 

 threaten others such as the Mohave River Camp. 



Sources of data: Numerous biologists connected with the universities and with 

 the California Academy of Science have sent in data. 



Recommendations: Of the major wetlands in the state, some of the most signifi- 

 cant from the point of view of wildlife are in the Butte Basin, the Grasslands 

 Water District, the Tule-Klamath Basin, and around the Salton Sea. Whether 

 there are relatively undisturbed portions of these that would qualify as Natural 



