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| Butte Valley Wildlife Area/National Grassland - Site # 41 | |||
| Background: | CDFW's Wildlife Area and USFS's National Grassland combine with private lands to offer 150 square miles of wetlands, sage flats, and farmlands, dominated by 4,000-acre Meiss Lake and 5,700 acres of adjacent wetlands, and sweeping views of the Cascades and Mount Shasta. Seasonally, waterfowl are abundant during their fall and spring migrations. Huge flocks of greater white-fronted and snow geese leave the wetlands to feed on grain fields and pastures, areas that often include hundreds of foraging pronghorn. Rodents in fields draw Swainson's hawks, prairie falcons, and golden eagles. Bald eagles work the lake, wetlands and fields. In the sage flats and fields, watch for burrowing owls, jackrabbits, badgers, Belding ground squirrels and pronghorn antelope. | ||
| The Habitat: | Almost 10,000 acres of wetlands including Meiss Lake are surrounded on the southwest and west by mixed conifer forests, Oregon oak woodland and juniper woodland. On the south end of the Lake, agricultural fields are adjacent to it with crops of alfalfa, barley, oats and strawberries. North and east of the Lake, the habitats are seasonal wetlands, juniper woodland, rabbitbrush and sage brushfields, grasslands and croplands. There is nearly 50 square miles of continuous public land in the valley with habitats ranging from conifer forest, Lake and wetlands, grasslands, brushfields and croplands. | ||
| The Experience: | This site is a major wetland area surrounded by large tracts of diverse upland habitats (forest, woodland, grassland, brushfields, etc.). This site if of international significance to migratory birds especially waterfowl, sandhill cranes and raptors. | ||
| Wildlife and Where to Find It: | High probability of seeing waterfowl, wading birds, and sandhill cranes in spring and summer. Look for snow geese in spring. Birds of prey can be seen year-round; resident golden and bald eagles provide excellent viewing from February to May. Seventy pairs of nesting Swainson's hawks; most active from April to August. Excellent car viewing; auto tour. Watch for birds of prey on private lands near Shady Dell and Sheep Mountain roads. No trespassing please. While birdwatching on Meiss Lake and adjacent wetlands, notice the thousands of ducks and geese resting and feeding there. Meiss Lake is a major spring staging area for pintails, snow and Ross' geese and white-fronted geese and other ducks. Hundreds of greater sandhill cranes can be seen feeding in the wetlands and adjacent grainfields. Later in spring and summer, ring-billed and California gulls, white pelicans, double-crested cormorants, Forster's terns and other waterbirds can be seen nesting on islands in Meiss Lake. | ||
| Nearby Viewing Sites: | Agricultural lands within Butte Valley host a variety of raptors,as well as blacktail deer and pronghorn antelope. | ||
| Viewing Site Hours of Operation are: | |||
| Staff On-site: | Yes | ||
| Open: | Everday | ||
| Hours: | On the wildlife area, two hours before sunrise to | ||
| Year Round: | Yes | ||
| Seasonal: | Public access is restricted during the waterfowl hunting season (October to January) on weekends and Wednesdays on the wildlife area. | ||
| Road Information: |  Gravel. | ||
| Road Hazards: | |||
 Number of Parking Spaces: 100 | |||
| Parking Fee: No | |||
| Proximity to viewing area:adjacent | |||
 Pull-Through Parking: Yes | |||
| Parking Danger: Watch for logging truck traffic on Meiss Lake road. | |||
| How to Get There: | On Highway 97, 0.5 mile south of MacDoel, turn west on Meiss Lake Road. Continue 5.1 miles to DFG's Wildlife Area. To see USFS's Butte Valley National Grassland, turn at marked exits north of MacDoel on Highway 97. | ||
| Contact Information | |||
| Managing Agency: | California Department of Fish & Wildlife | ||
| Agency Site URL: | |||
| Physical Address: | 5109 Meiss Lake Road Macdoel, CA 96058 |
Agency 2: | P.O. Box 249 Macdoel, CA 96058 |
| Manager Phone: | (530) 398-4627 | Contact Us: | by Email |
| Site Phone: | (530) 398-4627 | ||
| County: | Siskiyou | ||
| Addition Website: | |||