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Very little seasonal marsh habitat exists at the Buckeye Ranch. North Tracy Lake consists <br /> of 85 acres, while South Tracy Lake consists of 265 acres. Together, these lakes make up <br /> 350 acres. With farming stopped, the lake bed is now dominated by an early successional <br /> weedy growth of smartweed, dallis grass (Paspalum dilatatum), cocklebur (Xanthium <br /> strumarium), swamp timothy and other species. While much of the lakebed has the <br /> potential to become seasonal marsh, past grazing, water management practices, and the <br /> lack of time have precluded this habitat from reaching its full potential. <br /> Wildlife Relationships <br /> The seasonal marsh habitat in Tracy Lakes is available to birds only during a short period <br /> of the year between the onset of rainy weather and deep water flood-up (Photo 2). Figure <br /> 8 shows the flood duration expected on Tracy Lakes during a normal winter without water <br /> diversion (Previous land owners drained both lakes in spring to allow for summertime <br /> farming of the basins). Waterfowl and shorebirds depend on water depths of generally 10 <br /> inches or less, so these lakes only provide habitat for 2 - 3 months each fall and winter. <br /> Flats of mixed annual and perennial emergent vegetation do support a wide variety of <br /> waterfowl. Mud flats, located along the bottom of Tracy Lakes, although small, do support <br /> some migrant shorebirds including least and western sandpipers (Calidris mauri),dunlin, <br /> and long-billed dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus). Shallows at the interface of <br /> marsh/mud flats and water's edge provide important foraging opportunities for greater <br /> yellowlegs, common snipe, and other long-legged waders. <br /> Seasonal wetlands are also important for garter snakes (Thamnophis sp.), tree frogs and <br /> western toads (Bufo boreas) as breeding and foraging habitat. These larger vertebrates <br /> Buckeye Ranch Resource Plan (November, 1993) <br /> 52 <br />