48 



DEPARTA4ENT OF FISH AND GAME 



areas; and leased lands such as the San Luis Wasteway, 

 from the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, and the Napa 

 Marshes, from Leslie Salt Compan\'. 



Hunters using most public shooting areas were 

 charged S2 per da>-, which goes toward defraying ex- 

 pense of maintaining and operating the area. Madeline 

 and Hone\- Lake were free areas, and on that part of 

 the Imperial area where blinds were available the 

 charge was $5 per day. At Napa Marshes a $3 seasonal 

 permit was issued. 



All w aterfow 1 management areas have zones which 

 are closed to hunting, providing waterfowl feeding 

 and resting areas. On all Lea Act lands and on some 

 state lands such as Gray Lodge and Los Banos, hunting 

 usually is delayed until harvesting on surrounding ag- 

 ricultural areas is completed as a crop depredation 

 relief measure. Total acreage of both state-owned and 

 federally owned waterfowl areas showed big increases 

 during the period of this report. In 1951 the state- 

 owned or leased total was 33,584 acres, and by 1953 

 this total had reached 45,457. Federally owned water- 

 fowl areas, parts of which are opened to hunting, rose 

 from 177,507 acres in 1951 to 180,190 in 1953 mainly 

 through addition to the Colusa and Sutter areas. These 

 figures include all federally operated areas in addition 

 to those operated partly as state-controlled public 

 shooting grounds. 



GROWTH OF PUBLIC SHOOTING PROGRAM 

 WATERFOWL MANAGEMENT AREAS 



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40,000 



35,000 



30,000 



25,000 



20,000 



10,000 



5,000 



1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 



HUNTING SEASON 



Variety of Sources 



Funds for acquisition of the state and federal water- 

 fowl areas come from a variety of sources: from Pitt- 

 nian-Robertson federal aid in game conservation by a 

 tax on sporting arms and ammunition; from the Fed- 

 eral Lea Act which sets up funds for purchase of land 

 to prevent crop depredation by waterfowl; funds of 

 the Wildlife Conservation Board, which was allocated 

 funds from race horse pari-mutuel betting; and from 

 the sale of hunting licenses. 



Each area has several purposes in the State's water- 

 fowl management program. These lands provide feed- 

 ing and resting areas, to prevent damage to nearby 

 agricultural crops, to provide a sanctuary during hunt- 

 ing season, nesting areas, and as public shooting 

 grounds for licensed hunters. Major purpose is perpet- 

 uation of a natural resource w^hose wintering grounds 

 has been seriously depleted. 



A large portion of Pittman-Robertson funds avail- 

 able for development work has been spent in water- 

 fowl management areas because waterfowl are in 

 greatest danger of being adversely affected by the 

 continuing economic development of the State. 



Work at the various areas included land leveling, 

 ditch construction, levee construction, installation of 

 head gates, building construction, cultivation of water- 

 fowl food crops, and road construction. 



Following is a summary of the management areas 

 on which development work was carried out under 

 Pittman-Robertson funds: 



1. Suisun Waterfowl Refuge: Encouraging the 

 growth of native aquatic plants for waterfowl feed 

 was the purpose of P-R Project W9-D in the develop- 

 ment of this 1,887-acre salt-water marsh area in Solano 

 County. The area does not lend itself readily to culti- 

 vation of food crops of domestic varieties. No public 

 hunting is provided, as the area's function is solely that 

 of a refuge. 



2. Gray Lodge Waterfo-wl Management Area: Cul- 

 tivation of waterfowl food crops was a major activity 

 on this area, located in the heart of California's rice- 

 growing region in the upper Sacramento Valley. Pro- 

 duction of food crops is important in relieving crop 

 depredations by holding peak waterfowl populations 

 on the management area. Development of the crops, 

 carried out under P-R Project W13-D, saw 1,500 acres 

 of rice, milo, millet, barley and wheat grown, out of 

 a total area of 2,542 acres. Public hunting was pro- 

 vided on a portion of the area beginning in 1953. 



3. Imperial Waterfowl Management Area: Size and 

 effectiveness of this area in providing waterfow 1 feed- 

 ing grounds and public shooting areas has been re- 

 duced due to the rise in elevation of Salton Sea waters, 

 and its encroachment on the waterfowl area. Most of 

 the area was lost to flooding, leaving less than 1,000 

 acres. Development of the area w as done under P-R 

 Project W3f)-D. Because of the importance of having 

 waterfowl feeding and resting grounds in the intensely 



