EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

The Value of Created Wildlife Habitat

Millerton Lake
California

Explanation:  This is a brief story of the value of creating a key resource for people ... that also doubles as key habitat for wildlife.

We are flying just off the eastern edge of the Central Valley, California, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.  Below us slides by Millerton Lake, a central highlight of California's Millerton Lake State Recreation Area.  

The lake is not natural.  It was created in 1944 when the 319-foot-high Friant Dam was constructed across the San Joaquin River.  The purpose was multiple:  flood control, an important water source for irrigation, reclamation, and hydroelectricity ... for which it works well, as designed.

But this water body also provides key habitat for a surprising array of wildlife species of the region, including toads, newts, lizards, snakes, woodpeckers, owls, cranes, eagles, and much more.   Trails in the area lead to wildlife habitats and observations.  

It remains critical to protect declining natural habitats, but here is a case where an artificial environment designed for human needs also provides home to many native species.