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Herbaceous vegetation is dominated by grasses, such as tall fescue, bermuda grass, velvet grass, prairie brome, and annual ryegrass. Other grasslike plants such as Baltic rush and nutsedge are also seen in this habitat. Common forbs include English plantain, white clover, curly dock, field bindweed, and Pursh's lotus. Wildlife Wildlife species that occur in irrigated pasture are similar to those found in annual grassland. Among the species observed in the irrigated pasture were western bluebirds, black phoebes, western kingbirds, and Brewer's blackbirds. Raptors, such as American kestrels and red-tailed hawks, typically forage in this habitat type. WETLAND COMMUNITIES Wetlands are defined for regulatory purposes by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as areas that are inundated or saturated by surface water or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation adapted for life in saturated soil conditions (33 CFR 328.3, 40 CFR 230.3). Wetlands must generally have a prevalence of hydrophytic ("water-loving") vegetation, hydric soils, and wetland hydrology to be considered jurisdictional by the Corps (Federal Interagency Committee for Wetland Delineation 1989). Wetland types that commonly qualify as jurisdictional wetlands in San Joaquin County include seasonal and perennial freshwater marshes, most vernal pools, and portions of most streambank and riparian habitats. Wetland communities on the project site were identified by vegetation, presence of surface water, and soil conditions. An official delineation using the unified federal method was not conducted because, as specified in this report, impacts on wetland communities, such as riparian woodland, freshwater marsh, open water, and vernal pools, will be avoided. Wetlands are important communities because of their scarcity and their importance to dependent plant and wildlife species. Ninety percent of California's historic wetlands have been lost because of agricultural conversion, urban development, and flood control practices. Wetland habitat on the project site provides important resting, feeding, and nesting habitat for many species of migratory birds, including waterfowl and shorebirds. Aquatic invertebrate and amphibian species are dependent on wetlands for breeding. Several wetland communities are present on the project site, including riparian woodland, vernal pool, freshwater marsh, and open water. 13