Central Valley / Coastal California

Level I Ducks Unlimited conservation priority area, the second-most important and threatened waterfowl habitat in North America

California's Central Valley runs from Red Bluff to Bakersfield. The Central Valley is No. 2 on the 25 most important and threatened waterfowl habitats on the continent. The Coastal California region extends from Bodega Bay south to northern Mexico and includes the important San Francisco and San Diego bays. This region also includes the Salton Sea. Water is a crucial factor in the amount and quality of waterfowl habitat. There is even greater uncertainty over the reliability of water supplies to the Central Valley's privately managed wetlands. DU and its partners have made considerable headway in the Central Valley since the early 1990s, resulting in substantial increases in waterfowl habitat. About 60,000 acres of wetlands have been restored since DU's Valley/Bay CARE (Conserving Agricultural Resources and the Environment) program began. In addition, more than 56,800 acres of existing wetlands have received long-term protection.