CWA Goose Lake Watershed Land Aquisition

At its November 2013 meeting, the California Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved an array of grants to help restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout the state.

Among the new projects is a $2.3 million grant to the California Waterfowl Association to acquire approximately 1,670 acres of land for the purpose of protecting wetlands and associated upland habitat areas in the Goose Lake watershed.

Located in the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, Goose Lake watershed supports numerous migratory birds and threatened and endangered species. Goose Lake watershed serves as an important stopover along the Pacific Flyway.

For more information about the WCB, please visit www.wcb.ca.gov.

source: California Department of Fish and Wildlife

How To Make a Fish or Wildlife Pond

When constructing a pond for fish or wildlife, engineers employ a variety of structures that provide essential habitat.

The following list includes several structures that may be required, depending on the size, type and intended use of a pond.

• fish feeders
• pond aerators
• deep channels
• sloping shorelines
• brush piles
• fish attracting devices or artificial reef materials
• shoreline trees-shrubs
• submerged aquatic vegetation (sav)
• lily pads (spatterdock)

Each of these structures have specific requirements and benefits. Some features, such as depth and grading must be calculated during the design phase and implemented at the time of construction.

Other features such as aerators, brush piles, and populations of fish can be placed and supplemented in later phases.

With almost any pond design, size is the most critical factor. Some designs, such as stock tank type ponds, provide some ability to expand the pond size or increase depth.

In some applications, nearby structures will also be required such as food plots for attracting and sustaining migratory waterfowl.