The latest news on the people, places and wildlife that make California Rice unique.
A series of atmospheric river storms sets the stage for UC Davis researchers to use rice fields in the flooded Sutter Bypass as their lab, studying how to help aid the state’s dwindling salmon population.
The devastation caused by this drought has created never-before-seen challenges, especially for rice growers on the west side of the Sacramento Valley. The lack of water has altered the normal way of life for countless people and businesses in rural agriculture communities and has dried up the vital environment our wildlife relies on.
Drought threatens multigenerational businesses and countless people connected to the rice production workforce, each a link in the chain needed to grow, dry and mill California Rice. The lack of water is causing jobs to dry up, jeopardizing the future for small ag communities throughout the Sacramento Valley.
The CRC, wildlife biologists, conservation groups and government organizations have teamed up to launch a new study utilizing GPS transmitters to track migratory bird movements throughout the Sacramento Valley. The goal is to see how how wintering waterbirds that rely on planted rice fields respond to these historic drought conditions and how we can best support waterfowl populations during future dry years.