Tag Archives: winter flooding

The Arkansas Waterfowl Rice Incentive Conservation Enhancement program was developed by Arkansas Game and Fish Commission biologists to help keep waste rice available for ducks, geese and other migrating birds when they pass through each winter. It has recently been expanded to allow weekend permitted public waterfowl hunting opportunities on participating rice fields. Farmers may still operate and harvest their ... Read More »

About 9,000 baby salmon have been placed into winter-flooded Sacramento Valley rice fields as part of the second year of the California Rice Salmon Pilot Project. The fish are in eight specially prepared test plots in a living scientific experiment designed to determine if any unique extra treatments, such as deep channels or vegetative cover, make these fish food-rich rice ... Read More »

The California Rice Commission has been working closely with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to establish rules for new California Winter Rice Habitat Incentive Program. These rules, published in the Department’s Public Solicitation Notice, establish the provisions for receiving and evaluating grower/landowner applications and how the habitat contracts will be administered. The PSN provides the most detailed information ... Read More »

California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed Assembly Bill 2348, also known as the “California Winter Rice Habitat Incentive Program.” Carried by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), the legislation authorizes the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to contract with private landowners or lessees to flood rice ground for at least 70 days between Oct. 15 and March 15, according to the ... Read More »

Idle rice fields in the winter can act as surrogate floodplains to help rear juvenile salmon, according to a recently published study. Read More »