THIRTY-SECOND BIENNIAL REPORT 57 



not far from the Marysville Buttes about fourteen miles southwest of 

 Gridley. Previous to purchase it had been manitained as a private 

 duck club and had provided an annual harvest of nearly 15,000 ducks. 

 As on the Los Banos Refuge, it was necessary to do a great deal of 

 development work. Water conditions were much better than at Los 

 Banos and it was possible, in spite of the dry season, to maintain a 

 water surface of some 1200 to 1500 acres. During the summer of 1931 

 this was practically the only extensive area of open water on the 



Fig. 14. Contented geese — white fronted, Hutchins and Snow. 



eastern side of the Sacramento Valley. Naturally many hundreds of 

 ducks nested on the area. 



IMPERIAL REFUGE 



In the southern part of the State, after a careful study of con- 

 ditions by the Advisory Committee, it was decided that the only 

 locality where it would be possible to secure land at a reasonable price 

 and where it would be advisable to create a refuge, was in the Imperial 

 Valley. An area of 1100 acres located along the Alamo River near 

 Calipatria was purchased. Part of the area had been used as a duck 

 club. Another part had been used as a resting place by ducks for 

 years, unknown to the many thousands of southern California hunters. 

 On this refuge we are fortunate in having a surplus of water from the 

 irrigation district available at all times. At the present time there is 

 a surface area of about 400 acres. A more extensive water surface 

 will be provided as soon as the area can be developed. It is believed 

 that by feeding the birds on this refuge, complaints of duck damage 

 to crops in the Imperial Valley will be greatly reduced. 



SUISUN REFUGE 



In the fall of 1931 there was purchased 1711 acres located on 

 Joice Island in the Suisun marsh. This area had been maintained as 

 a duck club for many years. The purchase of this area was only 

 possible on account of the depreciated value of land. It was purchased 

 for a fraction of the actual cost. Under normal conditions of the 

 Sacramento River fresh water can be secured during the early part of 

 the year at high tide. On account of the excellent location of this 

 refuge it will become one of the best in the State. 



