Fish Slough Area of Critical Environmental Concern facts for kids
The Fish Slough Area of Critical Environmental Concern is a special protected place in Inyo County, eastern California. It's a type of wet area called a slough, which is like a marsh or a slow-moving stream. You can find it about 5 miles (8 km) north of Bishop, in the northern part of the Owens Valley.
This amazing area covers about 36,000 acres (14,569 hectares). In 1982, it was named an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). This means it's a place with very important natural, cultural, or historical features that need extra protection. The Bureau of Land Management helps take care of it. Fish Slough is like a green oasis in a dry, volcanic landscape. It's so unique that in 1975, the National Park Service also called it a National Natural Landmark.
Plants and Habitats
Fish Slough is a really interesting place because it sits right where two big natural areas meet. This meeting point is called a transition zone or "ecotone." Here, the plants and animals from the Mojave Desert and the Great Basin biomes mix together.
Different Plant Communities
Because of this special location, you can find many different types of plant groups here. These include:
- Wetlands: Areas that are wet for most of the year, like marshes.
- Alkali Meadows: Grassy areas where the soil has a lot of salt.
- Uplands: Drier areas that are higher up.
Rare and Special Plants
Fish Slough is home to some very unique plants. One of them is the Fish Slough milk vetch (Astragalus lentiginosus var. piscinensis). This plant is endemic to the area, which means it grows naturally only in Fish Slough and nowhere else in the world!
Another rare plant found here is the Alkali Mariposa lily (Calochortus striatus). This beautiful flower is considered a vulnerable species. It's listed on the California Native Plant Society Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants, meaning it needs protection to survive.
