The largest body of water west of the Mississippi disappeared 130 years ago. Now it's back

by Noah Lloyd, Northeastern University

Pa’ashi in April 2023. Credit: Vivian Underhill

"The San Joaquin Valley of California, despite supplying a significant percentage of the country's food, is nevertheless a dry, arid place. Fresno, at the heart of the valley, receives just over 10 inches of rain a year on average, according to the National Weather Service, and sometimes as little as 3.

Now, after less than a year back, "birds of all kinds—pelicans, hawks, waterbirds" are returning. And Underhill notes that "the Tachi also say that they've seen burrowing owls nesting around the shore," a species described as "vulnerable or imperiled" by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Tulare Lake was once part of the Pacific Flyway, Underhill says—it was an important stopover area for migratory birds. "The loss of that habitat has been a major issue in bird conservation and bird diversity."

Here's the link to the whole article.

https://phys.org/news/2024-02-largest-body-west-mississippi-years.html