Kesterson wildlife refuge
Encyclopedia
The Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge is an artificial wetland
environment, created using agricultural runoff
from farmland in California
's Central Valley.
The irrigation
water is transported to the valley from sources in the Sierra Nevada mountains via the California Aqueduct
. Minerals from these sources are carried in the water and concentrated by evaporation from aqueducts, canals, and fields, which has resulted in an accumulation of selenium
and other minerals in the wetlands. Wildlife in this region suffered deformities due to selenium poisoning, drawing the attention of news media and leading to the closure of the refuge.
Kesterson Reservoir
was a unit of the refuge but is now part of San Luis National Wildlife Refuge
.
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
environment, created using agricultural runoff
Surface runoff
Surface runoff is the water flow that occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source...
from farmland in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's Central Valley.
The irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
water is transported to the valley from sources in the Sierra Nevada mountains via the California Aqueduct
California Aqueduct
The Governor Edmund G. Brown California Aqueduct is a system of canals, tunnels, and pipelines that conveys water collected from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and valleys of Northern- and Central California to Southern California. The Department of Water Resources operates and maintains the...
. Minerals from these sources are carried in the water and concentrated by evaporation from aqueducts, canals, and fields, which has resulted in an accumulation of selenium
Selenium
Selenium is a chemical element with atomic number 34, chemical symbol Se, and an atomic mass of 78.96. It is a nonmetal, whose properties are intermediate between those of adjacent chalcogen elements sulfur and tellurium...
and other minerals in the wetlands. Wildlife in this region suffered deformities due to selenium poisoning, drawing the attention of news media and leading to the closure of the refuge.
Kesterson Reservoir
Kesterson Reservoir
The Kesterson Reservoir is the name of a former unit of the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge which is part of the current San Luis National Wildlife Refuge...
was a unit of the refuge but is now part of San Luis National Wildlife Refuge
San Luis National Wildlife Refuge
The San Luis National Wildlife Refuge in the San Joaquin Valley of central California is one of the great remnants of a historically bountiful wintering grounds for migratory waterfowl on the Pacific Flyway...
.