Reconnecting the Floodplains
Levees provide valuable flood protection, but they have also cut off the river from the natural floodplains that we now realize fish relied on to access a key food source. When rice fields are flooded post-harvest, the remaining rice straw decomposes, that then generates the production of billions of bugs which are the perfect food for fish to bulk up on as they head to the Pacific Ocean. California Trout and UC Davis studies reveal bigger fish have a better chance of surviving in the river and ultimately are more likely to return and spawn as adults.
The flooded rice fields also provide valuable habitat for migrating shorebirds and waterfowl. The Sacramento Valley has been recognized as a critical stop-over site for birds along the Pacific Flyway. It is estimated by Ducks Unlimited, 4 million waterfowl and 250,000 shorebirds depend on the valley each winter.
Floodplain Forward Coalition
Sacramento River Settlement Contractor members are actively participating in the groundbreaking Floodplain Forward Coalition - a group of 27 organizations in agriculture, water management, public governance (local, state and federal) and wildlife conservation. The coalition works on projects on the historical floodplain in the Sacramento Valley that support people, fish and wildlife.
Bird and Fish Habitat Creation
Throughout the fall and winter, our members from Chico to Sacramento flood their fields to provide valuable habitat for millions of waterfowl and shorebirds. In addition, our members are working with UC Davis and California Trout to ensure some of those very same fields can also stay flooded longer to produce much-needed food sources for our endangered fish species.
The Fish Food on Flooded Farm Fields Projects aim to prove how rice fields can play a critical role in boosting salmon populations. We have taken part in these efforts since 2017.
Take Flight Over the Floodplains
Our partner, the Northern California Water Association, has created an interactive, 360-experience of the Sacramento Valley to highlight the importance floodplains play for fish, birds and people.