The birds love Pixley National Wildlife Refuge
By Shawn GadberryIt may be hard to imagine, but there was once an 800,000-acre lake in the South Valley. Tulare Lake disappeared because of the damming up of rivers, diverting water for agricultural needs and the development of towns.
As the lake disappeared, so did acres and acres of wetlands that were home to migratory waterfowl, shorebirds and other species. In 1959, Congress approved the formation of man-made wetlands to replace a portion of what had been destroyed. The Pixley National Wildlife Refuge was a result.
“Every acre down here is critical for the migrating birds,” says David Hardt, refuge manager. “We provide the habitat every fall and winter for the birds who still want to be here even though many of their natural habitats are no longer around. Some of these birds have flown a few thousand miles when they get here.
They spend a few weeks here, ëgas up’ and get some energy before heading out.” The Pixley National Wildlife Refuge is 6,989 acres in southern Tulare County. It is one of 540 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System.
“We have birds that come from as far north as the Arctic Circle,” Hardt says. “Some birds spend the winter here, but most pass through on their way south to Central America or wherever.”