Table of Contents
Special Status Wildlife Species Use of Rice Cultivation Lands In California's Central Valley
Chapter 1 - Introduction
Commercial rice cultivation was successfully introduced to the Sacramento Valley of California in the early 1900s. Historically, many of the lands now used for rice cultivation were dry and barren throughout the summer months except during those years of major flooding by the Sacramento River. Most contain alkali soils with high clay or silt content that increase water retention, and are perfectly suited for rice production while generally unsuitable for other crops.
California is the second largest producer of rice in the United States - 500,000 acres of rice were under cultivation in 1996 (California Department of Food and Agriculture 1997). Over the last few decades, California rice yields have nearly doubled to a high of 8,388 pounds per acre, primarily the result of more effective integrated pest management techniques, the breeding of more resistant and productive strains, and improved cultivation techniques such as precision leveling of rice fields.
The California rice industry is very conscious of the environmental concerns of public agencies and the general public relative to rice cultivation practices. Water use, pesticide use, and air quality impacts are just a few examples of these concerns. However, rice growers realize their industry also provides benefits to wildlife and the environment, and feel their efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of rice cultivation have not been fully recognized. To provide the public with factual information on these matters and to clear up misconceptions, the California Rice Commission retained the services of Resource Management International, Inc., (RMI) to prepare this paper describing the use of Central Valley rice lands by threatened, endangered, and candidate wildlife species.
