Sacramento Planning Region
The Sacramento Planning Region comprises the northern part of the Central Valley and is smaller, wetter, and cooler than the southern part. It contains the Colusa, Butte, Sutter, and the American basins.
Historically, Sacramento River and tributaries created natural levees that supported large corridors of riparian forest habitat. Winter and spring flows from these streams would flood into adjacent basins creating expansive wetland habitats.
Today the Sacramento River and most its major tributaries are dammed and leveed, orchards are grown where riparian forests once stood and rice agriculture has largely replaced wetlands within the basins. However, there are still significant acreages of publicly owned wetlands that are protected as National Wildlife Refuges, State Wildlife Areas, and privately-owned wetlands. Hundreds of thousands of acres of rice also makes significant contributions to conservation within the basins, complimenting the remaining wetlands. Tens of thousands of acres of remnant and restored riparian forest have also been protected along the Sacramento River and its tributaries.
CVJV 2020 Plan
Butte Basin
The Butte Basin encompasses approximately 608,00 acres and extends 76 miles from Red Bluff south to the Sutter Buttes. The Sacramento River borders the basin to the west, the Sierra Nevada foothills and Feather river on the east. Butte Creek drains the basin between the city of Chico and the Sutter Buttes and is one of the largest undammed tributaries in the Sacramento Region. The basin also receives significant water from the Sacramento River during high water events that activate flood control weirs. Much of the basin is farmed with rice, almonds and walnuts being the predominant crops. The largest contiguous block of wetlands occurs in the Butte Sink which primarily consists of managed waterfowl hunting clubs. Significant publicly owned wetlands include Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area, and the Butte Sink Unit and Llano Seco Unit of the Sacramento NWRC. Considerable riparian forest habitat can be found along the Sacramento River and throughout the Butte Sink.
CVJV 2020 Plan
Colusa Basin
The Colusa Basin extends 106 miles from Red Bluff south to Cache Creek and consists of approximately 1,149,000 acres. The basin is bordered by the Sacramento River on the east and the Coast Range on the west. The majority of the basin is farmed, with rice and almonds being the predominate crops. Most of the rice and wetland habitat is found south of the Stony Creek drainage and towards the center of the basin. Sacramento NWR, Delevan NWR, and Colusa NRW represent the largest blocks of public wetlands in the basin. Privately-owned wetlands in the Willow Creek and Lurline Areas help to provide a contiguous wetland footprint between the three refuges. Post-harvest flooding of rice fields for straw decomposition provides significant waterfowl habitat during the winter in the Colusa Basin. Appreciable riparian forest habitat is most prevalent along the Sacramento River.
CVJV 2020 Plan
Sutter Basin
The Sutter Basin totals approximately 237,500 acres, extends 42 miles from the Sutter Buttes to the confluence of the Sacramento and Feather River, and is bordered by the Sacramento River on the west and the Feather River on the east. The Sutter Bypass Flood Control System is situated in the center of the basin and most public and private wetlands can be found in and around the Sutter Bypass. The most significant wetland in the basin is Sutter NWR which is located in the Bypass. Postharvest flooded rice also provides important waterbird habitat in the basin and is primarily found in and around the Sutter Bypass. Beneficial riparian habitat can be found along the Sacramento River, the Feather River, and the East and West Borrow Canals of the Sutter Bypass.
CVJV 2020 Plan
American Basin
The American Basin lies east of the Sacramento and Feather Rivers and west of the Sierra Nevada Foothills. It is about 65 miles long from Oroville in the north to the American River in the south, totaling approximately 519,500 acres. The predominate crops grown in the basin include rice, walnuts and pasture. The basin includes the District 10 and Honcut Creek Areas, which comprise a large block of privately-owned wetlands and rice north of Marysville. In addition to its wetlands, much of the rice in District 10 is post-harvest flooded providing important wintering habitat for waterfowl.
Unlike other basins in the Sacramento Region there is little publicly protected wetland habitat in the American Basin. The southern part of the basin is under increasing development pressure and the loss of rice lands has been extensive. Remnant riparian forest habitat can be found along the Feather River and its many tributaries flowing west from the Sierra Foothills.