The Tulare Basin is a land of superlatives. Located in California's southern San Joaquin Valley, the Tulare Basin encompasses portions of Fresno, Kern, Kings and Tulare counties. Four major rivers, the Kings, Kaweah, Tule and Kern, and dozens of smaller creeks flow into the historic Tulare Lake Bed -- which once contained the largest freshwater lake west of the Rockies. This region also contained the most extensive complex of freshwater wetlands west of the Mississippi. Finally, artifacts unearthed here indicate that the Tulare Basin may have been the location of the longest continuous human habitation in North America.

Today, the Tulare Basin is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the United States. Unfortunately, this region has lost 90 - 95% of its native habitat. Consequently, we are faced with a large number of special status species in need of protection. Today, the Tulare Basin has the smallest proportion of protected natural land and one of the smallest percentages of public recreational land per capita of any region in California. Nonetheless, the Tulare Basin maintains an astonishing diversity of habitats: freshwater lakes and saline wetland are set amidst desert scrub and alkali grassland and interspersed with riparian forests, oak woodlands, and vernal pools. Subsequently, this region contains some of the greatest plant and animal diversity found anywhere in California.

The Tulare Basin Wildlife Partners work to protect, preserve and restore the natural legacy of the Tulare Basin within the context of our "new" agricultural landscape. Through diverse partnerships and multi-benefit projects, we are building a healthier watershed for the people, flora, and fauna that call the Tulare Basin home.

Habitats: Vernal Pools

Click here to learn more about vernal pools.

Maps

Source: Scott Philips, Endangered Species Recovery Program

Source: Scott Philips, Endangered Species Recovery Program

Source: California Water Institute and CSU Fresno.

Source: Kings River Conservation District

San Joaquin Valley Greenprint Website
The San Joaquin Valley Greenprint is a voluntary, stakeholder-driven project that provides agricultural, water, and environmental leaders with improved planning data and fosters regional collaboration on strategies that prioritize resource sustainability while enhancing economic prosperity. It focuses on the challenges and opportunities in non-urban land use planning, and how those rural decisions shape the region’s economy and environment.

The SJV Greenprint provides the following:

1. Map Database
2. Regional Planning Forums
3. Conservation Vision

Prior event resources