Conservation: A Better Year for Water in the West

By Jennifer Boudart

In the western United States, Ducks Unlimited’s highest-priority conservation areas are the Great Salt Lake in Utah; the Klamath Basin along the border of southern Oregon and northeastern California; and the Central Valley of California. Together, the “Big Three” support the majority of the Pacific Flyway’s waterfowl and other wetland-dependent birds during various periods of their annual cycles. These ecosystems all receive highly variable amounts of precipitation from year to year. In fact, all were gripped by years of drought until 2022, when wetter weather began to improve local water conditions, albeit to varying degrees.

The good news is that in 2024, wetland conditions continue to improve in these areas. But given the vagaries of western weather—not to mention growing demands on water resources—DU and its partners are working to ensure these crucial habitats are more resilient during periods of drought by working with stakeholders to improve water-use efficiency and by finding long-term solutions to the region’s complex water challenges. Following is an update on the latest habitat conditions and conservation efforts currently under way in the Big Three.

The Central Valley

“Overall, conditions are good in the Central Valley this year both for wildlife-friendly agriculture and wetlands,” observes Virginia Getz, DU’s director of conservation programs in California. “The winter was incredibly mild, but a lot of rain fell in late winter and early spring. Late-season snowstorms in the mountains also contributed enough snowpack to ensure good runoff.”

That snowpack and subsequent runoff are critical, as the water goes into storage reservoirs and is gradually metered out during the summer. Getz says if reservoirs aren’t at adequate levels in spring, “we get into trouble from both an agricultural and habitat standpoint.” It’s been tricky for the California Department of Water Resources (CDWR) to determine how much water to hold in reservoirs based on traditional climatic models, but Getz says the CDWR is now relying on more recent data to manage water. That allows reservoirs to be held at higher levels and creates more resiliency in the system. Getz is encouraged by this improvement as well as the ongoing work DU is doing in the valley from north to south.

In the Sacramento Valley, for example, DU recently completed an engineering assessment of three wetland units—totaling some 9,700 acres—that make up the Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area. This assessment identified key infrastructure improvement projects that will help the California Department of Fish and Wildlife prioritize the use of limited water supplies, improve water-use efficiency, reduce operating costs, and maximize habitat benefits. Getz says DU is working to secure funding to implement four of the highest-priority projects identified by the assessment and hopes to begin them next year.

The Klamath Basin

Tule Lake and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuges were both completely dry in 2022 due to ongoing drought and the low priority of refuge water rights. Last year, these public lands were still mostly devoid of water; the exception was Unit 2 on the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). A pumping station DU installed in 2022 was able to successfully deliver recycled agricultural drain water to fill that unit in spring.

Fortunately, water supplies on both refuges are better this year. For its part, DU was able to work with the Tulelake Irrigation District and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to activate Pumping Plant D after a four-year pause. More than 20,000 acre-feet of water flowed through the refuges as a result. DU plans to further increase water delivery by installing two of four new pumping stations that received funding through bipartisan infrastructure legislation. Ultimately, the four stations—two on each refuge—will improve water availability on more than 20,000 acres of land.

“There are still challenges in terms of water availability for these refuges, but the situation is more hopeful than we have seen in several years,” notes DU Regional Biologist Amelia Raquel. She says that’s due in large part to being “in an unprecedented time of collaboration in the basin.” DU is partnering with a variety of stakeholders, including irrigation districts, USFWS staff, tribes, and other nongovernmental organizations that are investing in large-scale restoration efforts.

DU and its partners recently finished a large feasibility study on Lower Klamath NWR to help develop a plan for alternative conveyance infrastructure to improve water availability. Water is currently supplied to the refuge through the Ady Canal and must fill nearly 7,500 acres in Units 2 and 3 before it can be used anywhere else, which limits wetland management. This work will improve water availability and conveyance to over 17,000 acres of habitat on the refuges.

On Upper Klamath NWR, DU and the USFWS are planning a more than 14,000-acre wetland restoration project on the Barnes and Agency Units as well as surrounding private lands, which are under USFWS easements. Among the project goals are re-establishing historic creek channels, restoring fish habitat and waterbird habitat, and improving water quality.

Plans are also under way for an infrastructure assessment on Tule Lake NWR in collaboration with the USFWS, Tulelake Irrigation District, Modoc Nation, and Klamath Water Users Association. Work there will potentially restore over 18,000 acres of habitat to benefit endangered sucker fish and migratory waterfowl as well as improve water quality.

The Great Salt Lake

Conditions in the Great Salt Lake have improved dramatically since the lake fell to its lowest recorded level back in 2022. DU Manager of Conservation Programs Chris Bonsignore says the lake is now about seven feet higher following two very wet winters. “In fact, we are nearing the lower end of the range where the lake is considered to be healthy, so that’s really exciting,” Bonsignore notes.

Unfortunately, the area’s limited water resources continue to be used at unsustainable rates. Agriculture and other human uses divert much of the lake’s natural freshwater inflows each year, and Utah’s population is expected to double by 2050. DU is working to improve water conservation in this ecosystem through its Great Salt Lake Initiative. Launched in 2022, the initiative is a five-year effort to raise $5 million in private donations that will be used to leverage an additional $10 to $15 million in public funding.

DU is well on pace to meet its financial goals ahead of schedule. To date, $4.5 million in commitments have come from private and corporate philanthropic donors. DU has also secured an additional $9.7 million in state and federal funding. Much of the money will be used to replace degraded infrastructure such as dikes and water-control structures on public and private lands, including a number of wildlife management areas, the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, and numerous duck clubs that surround the lake.

Funds are also supporting scientific research, public policy, and education efforts. For example, DU is once again partnering with the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation (producers of Wings Over Water) as well as the state of Utah to produce an IMAX film highlighting the ecological and cultural importance of the Great Salt Lake. The Secrets of the Great Salt Lake will be shown locally at a theater currently under construction at Antelope Island State Park as well as in IMAX theaters across the country. The film is set for release later this year.