RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. – April 20, 2026 –In the Goose Lake Basin of Lake County, Oregon, fourth‑generation rancher Larry Maxwell has shown what’s possible when agricultural stewardship and wetland conservation go hand in hand. As owner‑operator of Maxwell Cattle Inc., Maxwell manages thousands of acres of working ranchland while maintaining a deep commitment to the health of the wetlands and waterways that sustain both wildlife and his family’s operation.
That commitment is on full display in the Upper Bauer Project, a Ducks Unlimited–led irrigation infrastructure upgrade and fish passage restoration recently completed along Bauer’s Creek in the Goose Lake watershed. The project restored 77 acres of palustrine emergent marsh on Maxwell’s ranch while improving stream function, fish passage, and long‑term irrigation reliability.
The Goose Lake watershed lies within the larger SONEC (Southern Oregon–Northeastern California) wetland complex, one of the most important migration stopover regions in the Pacific Flyway. Bauer’s Creek, a fish‑bearing tributary to Thomas Creek and ultimately Goose Lake, supports flood‑irrigated wet meadows and critical habitat for migratory waterfowl such as Tule Greater White‑fronted Geese, as well as native fish including the imperiled Great Basin Redband trout.
Prior to the project, the diversion structure on Bauer’s Creek had become severely degraded. Maxwell relied on tarps and temporary fixes to keep it functioning until high spring runoff in early 2025 caused the collapse of its concrete wing walls. The failing structure no longer effectively irrigated the floodplain and created a barrier to fish passage, while accelerating stream erosion downstream.
In response, DU worked with Maxwell to remove the obsolete dam and replace it with an innovative rock chute, or roughened channel design, one of the first of its kind in the Goose Lake Basin. The new structure uses a low rock weir to gently back up streamflow and passively divert water across the adjacent floodplain, while remaining fully passable for fish year‑round. Downstream habitat features, including varied streambed materials and fish refuge elements, slow flow velocities, reduce erosion, and increase habitat complexity.
The result is a more resilient stream system that benefits everyone involved: more reliable irrigation for the ranch, improved wetland connectivity, and higher‑quality habitat for fish and wildlife.
The Upper Bauer Project builds on more than two decades of partnership between DU and Larry Maxwell. Since 2004, Maxwell has worked closely with DU to permanently protect more than 900 acres of wetlands through North American Wetlands Conservation Act easements and to restore or enhance an additional 600 acres through voluntary habitat improvements. In total, his conservation footprint in the Goose Lake Basin now exceeds 1,500 acres restored and protected.
Beyond his own ranch, Maxwell is a trusted advocate and leader within the local community, known for his willingness to innovate, collaborate, and share conservation practices that work. He understands that maintaining the long‑term resiliency of his operation requires adapting to changing conditions while honoring the land that has supported generations of his family.
For his lasting contributions to wetland conservation, private lands stewardship, and partnership, Larry Maxwell has been named a recipient of Ducks Unlimited’s Wetland Conservation Achievement Award. The Upper Bauer Project stands as a powerful example of his philosophy in action: that working lands, when managed thoughtfully, can sustain agriculture, wildlife, and rural communities alike.
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Media Contact
Molly Jarone
Regional Communications Coordinator
Western United States Region
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing wetlands, grasslands and other waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has restored or protected more than 20 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science, DU’s projects benefit waterfowl, wildlife and people in all 50 states. Learn more at www.ducks.org.
