rice patties on E I-80 just before West Sacramento?

[charmama4]

I was just wondering if anyone knows about this.

[Caraway]

What is it that you want to know?

[charmama4]

Well I feel silly:lol:. I guess I should have asked, huh?

 

OK...who owns the land there, when is rice planted and harvested? I just thought it would be kind of cool to go and watch the process of it all.

[Jean in Newcastle]

http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=1371943

 

http://www.edenfoods.com/articles/view.php?articles_id=62

 

These might be interesting to you.

[Caraway]

This from Wikipedia:

 

The Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area is a 3,700 acres (15 km2) 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 cities of Sacramento and Davis. The Yolo Causeway, part of Interstate 80, runs through it. The restoration was named for Congressman Vic Fazio, who lobbied for the project and was instrumental in appropriating funds for the initial construction. The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area was dedicated in 1997 by President Bill Clinton. The facility is managed by the California Department of Fish and Game while the educational programs and public tours are administered by the Yolo Basin Foundation, which works to educate and inform.

A Red-Winged Blackbird in flight at the Vic Fazio Wildlife Area.

 

 

In 2001, the Wildlife Area expanded to over 16,000 acres (65 km2) through the acquisition of the Glide and Los Rios properties. Since this time, extensive wetland enhancement and restoration projects have proceeded rapidly. The Department of Fish and Game has incorporated agriculture into the management of the property to generate operating income and to provide wildlife habitat.

The floodplain that makes up the Yolo Bypass receives water from the Sacramento River and provides an Important Bird Area of the Pacific Flyway for an impressive variety of waterfowl. Unless the area is impassable due to normal seasonal flooding, a dirt and gravel road is open to the public for driving and walking tours, and a docent-led tour is given once per month.

 

 

Specifically about agriculture, also Wikipedia:

 

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 unique rotation 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.

 

From the Yolo Basin Foundation:

 

The 16,000-acre Yolo Wildlife Area is one of the largest public/private restoration projects with 3,700-acres of land in the Yolo Bypass floodway restored to wetlands and other associated habitats, with more restoration in the works. The California Department of Fish and Game manages the Yolo Wildlife Area to promote an increase in waterfowl and other bird populations.

 

The Yolo Basin Foundation runs a lot of educational programs in that area. We toured a rice farm as part of the Yolo Basin's "Duck Days" last year. It was not as interesting as it sounds. :lol:

 

***

 

This is off of the sheet they gave us from the California Rice Growers:

 

There is a diverse group of several hundred family farms

 

Up to 2 million tons of rice each year, 1 million exported

 

Annual $500 million rice crop and habitat that would cost $800 million to replace through wetland restoration efforts.

 

***

 

So basically there is a symbiotic relationship between the rice growers and the wetlands animals. The rice fields are flooded in order to prevent weed growth. The various stages of the rice growing - fallow fields, flooding, plants, etc... - all provide different habitats and resources that the animals need. The fields are flooded during the summer growing season, many are also flooded following harvest to break down the rice straw. Many fields are flooded for up to 8 mos of the year. 230 species are known to use the wetlands - 27 species of mammals, 16 of amphibians and reptiles, and 187 species of birds. 31 of the species are considered "special status species" The farmers benefit by getting to use the land, pest management from the birds, water rights, birds cleaning up waste grain after the harvest. The rice seed is dropped by airplane.

[Caraway]

Something else that you might be interested in (much cooler IMO) are the Yolo Basin Foundation Bat Walks. You go and listen to a talk about bats, and get to see a bat (that is being rehabilitated) up close. Then you drive out into the fields by the causeway and wait for the bats to fly out from under the causeway at dusk. I am merely tolerant of bats, but it was AMAZING to watch them stream out.

[charmama4]

Something else that you might be interested in (much cooler IMO) are the Yolo Basin Foundation Bat Walks. You go and listen to a talk about bats, and get to see a bat (that is being rehabilitated) up close. Then you drive out into the fields by the causeway and wait for the bats to fly out from under the causeway at dusk. I am merely tolerant of bats, but it was AMAZING to watch them stream out.

It was actually more me that was interested in the rice patties and ALL of my curiousities were satisified by your last post:D. This post would be totally up my ds's alleys, not soo much my dd but she'll come along for the ride if there's ice cream involved!! Is that what it's called (Yolo Basin...)so I can google it and get more information on it? Thank you again.