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Nov 14 Bay Area Guns & Hoses
Nov 15 Woodland CWA Banquet
Nov 21 Petaluma CWA Dinner
Nov 23 Chico CWA Banquet
Nov 23 Imperial Valley Duck Dinner
Dec 5 Pocket-Greenhaven CWA Banquet Dec 6 Galt-Lodi Rib Feed Dec 7 Colusa CWA Banquet
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State Water Update
Fall flood-up is the critical period for waterfowl in California. So far, 2013 has been one of the driest years on record. So, what are the prospects for adequate water supplies for waterfowl during the hunting season?
In the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, where no water at all was delivered between March and mid-September, an increasing number of units have recently been flooded, including 2,3,6a,6b1,7a,11 and the Sterns. Flooding of unit 4b has also started.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was able to keep flooding most of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex during the federal government shutdown, citing a need to protect essential government infrastructure. However, in light of ongoing water conveyance problems, Sutter NWR is still not fully flooded, with hunter quotas low for this weekend.
The State Water Resources Control Board invoked Term 91, which means that certain water rights holders may not divert water from the Sacramento River from October 30 through November 16. Term 91 does not directly affect the Sacramento NWR Refuge Complex, but may affect some duck clubs that draw water from the River. Many of those affected were able to flood up in September and October, but are not able to maintain the flooding until after November 16.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation states that it has 75 percent of the average amount of water in storage going into 2014. The Bureau has released its Water Year Plan for 2014. The Plan includes efforts to provide water for the Sutter NWR, as well as efforts to transfer Level 2 water that cannot be used on certain refuges to other refuges, including the Grasslands refuges. The Plan also includes a proposal from the Golden Gate Salmon Association to change Sacramento River flows in the fall to protect spawning salmon, which may affect the timing of deliveries for waterfowl.
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2013 CWA Call of the Year Available Now
The 2013 California Waterfowl Call of the Year is now available. Introducing "Fire & Ice" from Willow Creek Custom Calls. Born in the duck blinds of Northern California rice country, "Fire & Ice" is an eye-catching, all-acrylic duck call featuring swirled colors in black, silver, orange and hints of yellow. It's available as either a single-reed, large-bore exhaust to reach out across wide rice fields on windy days or a softer blowing double-reed for those foggy mornings when a subtle comeback call does the trick.
Click here to order your call today!
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2013 Partnering for Pintail Raffle Underway
Guns, Gear, Ammo & More!
Help support California Waterfowl's efforts to keep reasonable pintail limits and ensure healthy populations, all while getting a chance to win some fabulous prizes!
Grand prize is a Beretta A400 Xtreme Unico 12 ga. camo PLUS a ton of other gear.
Click here for more information and to order your 2013 Partnering for Pintail tickets today.
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CWA Pushes for Protection of Black Brant Breeding Grounds - Open Letter
As stewards of the Pacific Flyway, the California Waterfowl Association would like to express our great concern about the far-reaching impacts of the proposed road through the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Izembek Refuge is internationally recognized for its importance to migrating waterfowl. In 2001, BirdLife International, in cooperation with the National Audubon Society, recognized Izembek as an Important Bird Area of global significance.
It may seem far away, but what happens in Izembek doesn't stay in Izembek. Hunters know that to keep birds coming back to California year after year, we need to keep key habitat intact. Because of its importance to migrating birds, especially waterfowl that nest in Alaska, impacts to Izembek would reverberate throughout the Pacific Flyway and beyond.
As just one example, nearly the entire world population of Pacific Black Brant stop at Izembek during both spring and fall migrations to rest and feed in the world's largest eelgrass beds. Research has shown that this species is highly susceptible to disturbance from human activities. Construction of a road through the heart of Izembek would increase disturbance of Black Brant at a critical feeding point in their migration, potentially affecting the entire Pacific Coast population.
Pacific Black Brant that nest in Alaska spend the winter along the West Coast from Puget Sound to Baja. They are highly sought after by local hunters in the Humboldt, Tomales and Morro Bay regions of California, and significant effort has been undertaken by the hunting community to sustainably manage Brant populations, including restoring eelgrass areas.
We support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's position in its February 2013 final Environmental Impact Statement to keep the refuge intact. Since 1985, the Fish and Wildlife Service has consistently found that a road across the narrow isthmus between Izembek and Kinzarof lagoons would be incompatible with the purposes for which Izembek Refuge was established, and would cause significant, long-term damage to important fish and wildlife habitat. A road through this prime waterfowl habitat in Izembek would, in turn, reduce the numbers of Black Brant we see in California.
Mark Hennelly
Vice President of Legislative Affairs and Public Policy
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Hunt Program Deadline Approaching
California Waterfowl's Hunt Program provided access to private and exclusive lands to 650 hunters last year, and the program is accepting applications for waterfowl and pig hunting opportunities. The December hunt deadline is THIS Saturday, November 16.
All hunting opportunities through CWA's Hunt Program are done through an application-based lottery system for a fee of $2-$4. Hunters can apply online for waterfowl and pig hunts across the state of California and Oregon. Hunt deadlines end each month during the hunting season. Hunters can apply for as many hunt opportunities as they like, but can apply only once per date per hunting slot.
For a full description of the hunts offered through the CWA program and step-by-step directions on how to apply, visit CWA online at www.calwaterfowl.org
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California Waterfowl is an award-winning 501(C)(3) nonprofit, hunter-supported conservation organization with a mission to conserve the state's waterfowl, wetlands, and hunting heritage. In the last 20+ years, we've completed more than 1,170 individual projects to protect, restore, and enhance more than 431,000 acres, providing habitat for millions of birds and animals. Our Wood Duck Program has hatched more than 655,000 ducklings, while our Banding Programs have marked more than 232,000 birds. Our Youth and Education Programs have reached more than 275,000 children, young adults, and families to help to create a better understanding of biology, conservation, and outdoor heritage. All efforts are supported largely by donations and the work of nearly 20,000 dedicated and tireless members and volunteers.
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Visit us online at www.calwaterfowl.org.
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