Northern Pintail
Latin: Anas acuta
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Water and wetlands are vital for the survival of California’s birds.
Wood Duck Photo: Harry Collins
Water is fundamental to our lives, our communities, and our economy. Water is also of vital importance to the survival of California’s birds and the habitats that support them. From our coastal estuaries to inland wetlands and waterbodies, water is the foundation of life.
That’s why Audubon California has been leading efforts to secure water when and where birds and people need it. This includes working on the policies and in the places where water matters most. We advocate for birds and drinking water for communities in five key ways:
Read more about the important work that Audubon California is doing to secure water for birds and for communities below.
Vital protections are needed for wetlands that depend on groundwater under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
Audubon California continues to advocate for adequate water supplies for Central Valley refuges.
Vibrant ecosystems can absorb carbon dioxide helping mitigate climate change and nitrogen cleaning the run-off from human use of the land for agriculture or development.
First-of-its-kind project restores 400 acres of tidal marsh habitat along Sonoma Creek in northern San Francisco Bay, helping withstand sea level rise and storm surges from climate change.
Audubon California is nearing the end of a massive restoration of wetland habitat in San Francisco Bay.
California is first in nation to commit to protecting 30% of our lands and waters by 2030.
Audubon California is helping secure the future of one of the state's key bird habitats.
Coalition of conservation and community groups says groundbreaking is positive step towards ending years of inaction at California’s largest lake.
One of the first ten sites in the U.S. to receive "Globally Important Bird Area" recognition.
Over the objections of Audubon California and other conservation organizations, Congress over the weekend passed major water infrastructure legislation that included last-minute language that has the potential to undermine the Endangered Species Act and destabilize the wetland habitat that millions of birds need to survive.
The issue was difficult, because members of Congress were eager to pass the larger Water Resources Development Act that contained vital funding for projects around the country, and this controversial language was inserted into the bill in the last few days, giving representatives very little time to remove it.
More than 3,700 Audubon activists joined the chorus objecting to the language, but the language still passed.
While the drought is far from over, the wet fall we're experiencing is certainly helping Central Valley birds, according to the Sacramento Bee.
From the State Water Resources Control Board:
The State Water Resources Control Board today announced that urban Californians’ monthly water conservation declined to 17.7 percent in August, down from 27 percent savings in August 2015, raising concerns that some water suppliers are abandoning their focus on conservation as California heads into a possible sixth drought year.
“The statewide August conservation results raise questions, and we are examining the data to understand why some areas slipped more than others,” said State Water Board Chair Felicia Marcus. “Are we seeing relaxation of conservation messaging and programs, or are we seeing abandonment of programs? One may be appropriate, the other is not. It’s a mixed picture. Many communities who certified that they didn’t ‘need’ to conserve are still conserving up a storm, while others have slipped more than seems prudent.”
Marcus added: “While last year’s rain and snow brought a respite for urban California, we are still in drought, and we can’t know what this winter will bring. What we do know is that climate change will continue to make our water years even more unpredictable, so we need to retain our conservation habits for the long term, rain or shine, drought or no drought.”
California is a global biodiversity hotspots, with one of the greatest concentrations of living species on Earth.
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