Project Description
Please note: the Willow Flat conservation easement is on private property
Located near Sonora Junction, the Willow Flat Conservation Easement is rich in diverse wildlife habitat, including a half mile stretch of the Little Walker River. Magnificent Sierra junipers, lodgepole pine, sagebrush scrub, wet meadow, and streamside vegetation make up the diverse landscape found here. The property is frequented by several rare wildlife species, including the Northern Goshawk, Bi-state greater sage-grouse, California wolverine, and American badger – of which the latter two are listed as threatened by the State Endangered Species Act. Other species that may be found here include mountain lion, mountain beaver, jackrabbit, American martin, and fisher. Over 44 different varieties of birds have also been observed at Willow Flat.
The conservation easement at Willow Flat is also part of an important migration route and summer range for the West Walker mule deer herd, which has seen significant declines in the last 25 years. As the Little Walker River is one of only three drainages within their summer range, the river access this property provides is important to the long-term survival of this herd.
