On June 24, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) released its 2015 waterfowl Breeding Population Survey Report, which indicates that the total number of breeding ducks has declined. The most numerous duck species in California, mallards, declined 27 percent from 2014. Overall, the total number of breeding ducks is estimated to be 315,580, down from 448,750 in 2014.
According to CDFW, the decline is caused by very low precipitation and poor habitat conditions in northeastern California and the Central Valley. It is important to recall that before the storms in December and February it was anticipated that the lack of precipitation and corresponding habitat loss were going to have devastating impacts on bird populations in the Sacramento Valley. The storms, which justified the lifting of Term 91 and water right curtailments by the State Water Resources Control Board, avoided much greater bird declines.
For more information on the Breeding Population Survey Report, visit California Department of Fish and Wildlife – Waterfowl Program.
