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Working Lands for Waterbird Habitat Conservation - Lake County

County: Lake

Primary Resource Concern Addressed: Terrestrial habitat - Terrestrial habitat for wildlife and invertebrates

Project Description
The Southern Oregon Northeast California (SONEC) region of the Pacific Flyway is critical habitat for migratory waterfowl. Nearly one third of the continental Northern Pintail population stops in the SONEC every spring to rest, forage, and build body condition as they migrate to their breeding grounds.  Since the 1950’s, Pintail populations have declined significantly and continue to remain below target levels. In an effort to increase this target species, this strategy will focus on maintaining and enhancing early-spring habitat in the Oregon portion of the SONEC region through conservation easements and/or practices that improve management ability and reduce conversion to other land uses. This habitat is predominately found on privately owned, surface-irrigated agricultural fields used for pasture or grass hay production.

Conservation Practices Offered

  • Wetland Wildlife Habitat Management (644)
  • Shallow Water Development and Management (646)
  • Irrigation System, Surface and Subsurface (443)
  • Irrigation Field Ditch (388)
  • Irrigation Canal or Lateral (320)
  • Irrigation Pipeline (430)
  • Irrigation Storage Reservoir (436)
  • Diversion (362)
  • Dam, Diversion (348)
  • Structure for Water Control (587)
  • Grade Stabilization Structure (410)
  • Pumping Plant (533)
  • Fish Passage (396)
  • Critical Area Planting (342)
  • Fence (382)
  • Field Border (386)
  • Filter Strip (393)
  • Herbaceous Weed Control (315)
  • Riparian Herbaceous Cover (390)
  • Wetland Enhancement (659)
  • Heavy Use Area Protection (561)
  • Irrigation Water Management (449)
  • Stream Crossing (578)

Project Partners

  • Ducks Unlimited
  • Intermountain West Joint Venture
  • Lakeview Soil and Water Conservation District
  • Fort Rock-Silver Lake Soil and Water Conservation District
  • Lake County Watershed Council
  • NRCS Oregon
  • Private landowners

Application Questions

NRCS uses prioritization questions to evaluate applications for this initiative. See the list of workload prioritization questions on the Oregon EQIP page. Ranking questions below will also apply.

Ranking Questions

  1. Will the treatment area retain historic micro topography (area has not been leveled)?

    Answer #2 or #3:
  2. Is the treatment area flood-irrigated using surface water and gravity flow?
  3. Is the treatment area flood-irrigated using ground water or pumped surface water?

    Answer #4, #5 or #6: 
  4. Is the treatment area located in Lake County HIGH Spring Migration Priority Zone?
  5. Is the treatment area located in Lake County MODERATE HIGH Spring Migration Priority Zone?
  6. Is the treatment area located in Lake County MODERATE Spring Migration Priority Area?

    Answer #7 or #8:
  7. Does the treatment area have a diverse mix of annual & perennial grasses and mesic plants (native and non-native)?
  8. Is the treatment area dominated by a monoculture of grasses or mesic plants (native and non-native)?

    Answer #9 or #10:
  9. Is the treatment area located less than 5 miles of a Roost Site [Wildlife Management Area, National Wildlife Refuge, or BLM Area of Critical Environmental Concern (e.g. Warner Wetlands)]?
  10. Is the treatment area located 5 to 15 miles of a Roost Site [Wildlife Management Area, National Wildlife Refuge or BLM Area of Critical Environmental Concern (e.g. Warner Wetlands)]?