… Known as the Nestor Tract, all 105 acres or so were once prime habitat for species native to the Central Valley, including giant garter snakes, and relatively abundant in the Natomas Basin. This is, historically, a flood-prone swath of wetlands along the Sacramento River, running from the southern rice fields of Sutter County down to the north of Sacramento. … That balance, made possible by greater levees and flood protections, has existed for more than 20 years, as bartered by Sacramento and Sutter County, and orchestrated by The Natomas Basin Conservancy. But proposals from Sacramento County now threaten to upend that arrangement, leaving the capital city, Sutter County and dwindling species like the giant garter snake with uncertain fates.

Other wetlands news:

• Audubon: Blog: Vital bird habitat in the Colorado River Delta at risk​
• California State Parks: News release: California State Parks invites public to virtual workshop to shape future of Great Valley Grasslands State Park
• The Washington Post: Opinion: Even Trump’s EPA can’t get it quite right on this silly wetlands law