Xxxxxx National Wildlife Refuge. The Xxxxxx NWR was established in 1959 and consists of approximately 6,000 acres of grass- lands and wetlands. The refuge is located in southwestern Tulare County, approximately 12 miles northeast of the Xxxx NWR and 5 miles southwest of the community of Pixley. Portions of the Xxxxxx NWR lie within the historic Tulare Lake Bed. Xxxxxx NWR was established to restore and protect wetland habitat. In addition to providing wetland habitat, Xxxxxx NWR currently serves an important role in supporting threatened and endangered species. Approximately 4,392 acres are set aside as habitat for three endan- gered species, the blunt-nosed leopard lizard, the San Xxxxxxx kit xxx, and the Xxxxxx kangaroo rat. Wetlands, riparian habitat, and croplands make up the other primary land uses on Xxxxxx NWR. Management of Xxxxxx NWR has three primary objectives (Service, 1986b): • Preserve and improve habitats that support the endangered blunt-nosed leopard lizard, San Xxxxxxx kit xxx, and other endangered and sensitive species • Maintain adequate populations of native plants and animals • Provide habitat for migratory waterfowl and water birds, when water is available
Xxxxxx National Wildlife Refuge. Xxxxxx NWR’s primary source of water has been groundwater; limited surface water supplies have been available in the past. Deer Creek, which passes through the southeast corner of the refuge, is an intermittent stream (Service, 1986b). During extremely wet years when flood flows occur in Deer Creek, surface water could be diverted from the creek at check structures along the southern boundary of the refuge. This water is of suitable quality for wetland habitat management. Studies conducted by the USGS on the refuge detected few
Xxxxxx National Wildlife Refuge. The Xxxxxx NWR is on the eastern margins of historic Tulare Lake and contains large remnants of native grassland habitats and marshes. Most of the surrounding lands have been converted to agricultural use, with a few pockets of native habitats occurring outside of the refuge boundaries. The Xxxxxx NWR is unique among Central Valley refuges in that it SECTION 5: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES is composed of several isolated parcels rather than one contiguous tract. As a result of recent land acquisitions, the Service currently owns the entire refuge boundary. The Xxxxxx NWR and surrounding areas are designated as “Agriculture ” by the Tulare County General Plan. Justification for creating the refuge included protecting nearby crops from depredation, but the Xxxxxx NWR Master Plan does not address compatibility with adjacent farmlands, and refuge / farmland compatibility is not addressed in the Tulare County General Plan.
Xxxxxx National Wildlife Refuge. Public recreation use is not emphasized on the Xxxxxx NWR. No hunting or fishing is currently allowed or planned. Nonconsumptive recreation use is currently allowed subject to permit, and minor recreation development is planned, including interpretive and wildlife observation facilities and two small foot trails. The recreation objective for the Xxxxxx NWR is approximately 1,000 nonconsumptive recreation visitors per year. The Xxxxxx NWR Master Plan states that the recreation development is contingent on securing a long-term, reliable water supply.
Xxxxxx National Wildlife Refuge. Most of the Xxxxxx NWR study area lies in an area of checkerboard land grants to the railroad. Portions of the study area were swamps and overflow lands that could not be worked for agriculture until reclamation had taken place. Early settlers in the sections open to settlement tried to homestead the land in the 1870s and 1880s, but were not successful and a number of claims were cancelled in the 1880s. Topographic maps from the 1920s show a number of small rectangular ponds, as well as a system of ditches, apparently part of the irrigation system for the region. As described by the South San Xxxxxxx Valley Information Center, there have been four previous cultural resources surveys within Xxxxxx NWR, one of which was a comprehensive study of the refuge area (Xxxxxx and Cursi, 1981). Three prehistoric and three historic sites were recorded during these surveys. The three prehistoric sites are lithic scatters, but all appear to have been displaced by farm leveling and drainage work. The site or sites producing these artifacts may have been located along streams that flowed into Tulare Lake. In addition to these lithic scatters, a burial ground was previously reported near one of the sites surveyed. The historic sites described in the surveys are three homesite remnants related to early settlement in the late 1800s.
