New CRC Blog- Plenty of water for migratory birds these days!

By Paul Buttner

I was driving up and down the Sacramento Valley recently and realized that something seemed different.  It was the presence a lot of more winter water (used for rice straw decomposition) being held in the fields longer than I think I’ve seen in years past.  And many, many species of waterbirds were out there taking full advantage of this habitat.

Normally, very soon after duck hunting season ends in late January, our growers are “pulling their boards” which is rice grower jargon for draining the winter water in order to begin drying out their fields in preparation for the next year’s planting season.  However, this year there is a mosaic of varying depths of water being held and much of it will still be there through the month of February.

So, what’s the possible game-changer here?  Well, it's likely the effect of new program that’s been fashioned for the birds called the Waterbird Habitat Enhancement Program (WHEP).  This is a program developed with valuable help and funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the valued technical expertise of some of our other bird conservation partners.  Of these, Audubon California and PRBO Conservation Science have spent a considerable amount of time on this particular effort but virtually all of our valued partners have supported the creation of WHEP.  WHEP is now entering its third year of implementation with over 100,000 rice acres--about 20 percent of our industry--participating!  And, we hope to add another 20,000 acres this year.

One WHEP practice, in particular, can be credited with most of the “extra” February water I’m seeing the birds happily using.  It’s called variable drawdown.  Growers who signed up for this practice have committed to “pulling” about 25 percent of their boards per week and finishing this staggered drawdown process no earlier than March 1.  Never have I seen the effects of a single conservation practice be so obvious on a huge, landscape scale.  And, most importantly, the birds are loving it!  

I feel strongly that rice and its valued conservation partners have significantly improved habitat values for the many species of waterbirds using the Pacific Flyway here in California.  I’m thrilled to see the results of all the collective conservation work to help these beautiful waterbirds.

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Paul Buttner is Manager of Environmental Affairs for the California Rice Commission.