Earlier this year, staff in Ducks Unlimited's Western Region began construction on a wetland enhancement project on the Ash Creek Wildlife Area in California's Lassen and Modoc Counties. This area is located within the continentally significant Southern Oregon-Northeast California (SONEC) region, which experiences more than 7.5 million days of waterfowl activity during the spring migration.

The project will enhance more than 460 acres of seasonal wetlands on five of Ash Creek Wildlife Area's existing wetland-management units. Construction work will include repairing and improving existing berms, extending the berms on four management units to improve water retention and water-level management, recontouring the bottoms of all five management units to reduce topographic variability, constructing several islands in each management unit, and installing new and resetting existing water-control structures. These improvements will help California Department of Fish and Wildlife staff manage water levels more effectively and provide better habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife.

Four of the five wetland units on the Ash Creek Wildlife Area are linked to pipeline and well-construction projects recently completed by Ducks Unlimited. This system will provide a reliable source of fall and winter water to these units, improving habitat conditions and waterfowl hunting opportunities within the SONEC region.