The Fish Slough Area of Critical Environmental Concern is a protected slough in Inyo County, eastern California.[1] It is located on the western side of the Chalfant Valley, 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Bishop in the northern Owens Valley area.[2]
Its 36,000 acres (15,000 ha) were designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) in 1982, and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.[1] The Fish Slough Area is an oasis in the middle of the otherwise arid volcanic tableland. In 1975, Fish Slough was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.[3]
Plants and biomes
The Fish Slough ACEC is located in the transition zone (ecotone) between the Mojave Desert and Great Basin biomes.[1] Plant communities including wetlands, alkali meadows, and uplands.[1]
One plant, Fish Slough milk vetch (Astragalus lentiginosus var. piscinensis), is endemic to the area.[4][5] The Alkali Mariposa lily (Calochortus striatus) is also a rare plant found in the ACEC, and is a vulnerable species on the California Native Plant Society Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "Fish Slough Area of Critical Environmental Concern". National Landscape Conservation System, Bureau of Land Management. Archived from the original on 2010-07-01. Retrieved 2010-10-13.
- ^ "Fish Slough Area of Critical Environmental Concern". Recreation.gov.
- ^ "National Natural Landmarks - National Natural Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
Year designated: 1975
- ^ CalFlora Database: Astragalus lentiginosus var. piscinensis (Fish slough milk vetch).
- ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Astragalus lentiginosus var. piscinensis". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team.
- ^ CNPS−California Native Plant Society Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants: Calochortus striatus (alkali mariposa lily) . accessed 1.1.2016.
External links
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bishop Field Office: official Fish Slough Area of Critical Concernwebsite
- BLM: Fish Slough Watchable Wildlife
37°28′09″N 118°24′03″W / 37.46908°N 118.40086°W