BirdReturns Summer Wetland Program

"The objective of the BirdReturns Summer Wetland Program is to incentivize private wetland managers to provide nesting and brood-rearing habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl. By flooding-up suitable wetland units in spring and maintaining habitat through the summer, wetland managers can create this much needed habitat for nesting birds."

"Wetland managers are asked to meet specific conditions in their units to provide high-quality habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl, specifically, wetland units that can maintain deep flooding and have the ability to conduct a gradual drawdown."

Payments are made through a competitive reverse auction: bids are ranked and scored by representatives of the Migratory Bird Conservation Partnership "using the best available science and tools that predict the habitat value of each application according to its location in the landscape, history of bird use in the surrounding area, and timing." BirdReturns is managed by the Migratory Bird Conservation Partnership (The Nature Conservancy, Audubon California, and Point Blue Conservation Science).

Eligible applicants:

• Wetland properties in the Suisun Marsh, Legal Delta, Sacramento Valley, Tulare, and San Joaquin Valley

• Summer wetland units greater than 15 acres throughout the Central Valley; minimum of 5 acres in Tulare

• Wetland owners with access to ground and/or surface water

• Wetlands that can maintain established low salinity targets (Suisun Marsh only)

• Must notify local mosquito vector control districts if selected to participate

Ineligible applicants:

• "Wetlands enrolled in any annual incentive program (i.e., NRCS EQIP) that provides payment to conduct flooding during the same time window"

• Wetlands within 5 miles of major airports, including Beale AFB, Sacramento International, Travis AFB, Fresno-Yosemite International, and Lemoore Naval Air Station

• Wetlands less than 15 acres in the Central Valley and less than 5 acres in Tulare

• Wetlands with high salinity and/or an inability to receive fresh water (Suisun only)

Lessees may bid and participate "as long as they are authorized to sign a contract of this kind."

Payment rates (per acre): Sacramento Valley and San Joaquin Valley (excluding Grasslands Water District) $260; Grasslands Water District, Suisun, and Delta $83; Tulare $988. Total program budget: $218,000.

Two summer management options:

• Semi-Permanent Wetland - Standard Drawdown: wetland units must be fully flooded April 1 - July 15; starting July 15, draw down water until reaching ~50% mudflats (50% flooded) on August 1.

• Permanent Wetland - Delayed Drawdown: wetland units must remain fully flooded April 1 - October 1.

For all management options: "Fully Flooded = minimum depth of 18 inches at the outflow, no exposed mudflat." Suisun properties must conduct a spring leach cycle by draining wetlands after waterfowl season and reflooding by April 1 to target depth. Participants must allow access to wetland units for compliance and biological monitoring.

Ranking strategy: "Primary ranking will be conducted at the regional level with twenty percent of the budget allocated per region (Sacramento Valley, San Joaquin Valley, Delta, Suisun, and Tulare). Each region will be ranked and funded independently... Once primary selections are complete, a secondary ranking will then be conducted" pooling all remaining eligible applications and funding them in priority order until residual funding is exhausted. Quality of previous participation may factor into scoring.

Payment timing (program FAQ): "Payments will be made within 45 days of the expiration date of the contract agreement." There is no limit on the overall amount of payment a grower could receive, and growers may submit multiple bids for multiple properties. If a field is out of compliance and cannot be brought into compliance, payment may be reduced or zero.

Application period: January 9, 2026 - February 1, 2026 (CLOSED). "All bids are final once the application period is closed."

Applications are submitted online through the Summer Wetlands Application page: https://birdreturns.org/program/summer-wetlands/summer-wetlands-application/ - the page is live but currently shows "Sorry, this form is not available" between cycles.

Applicants are encouraged to coordinate with their local mosquito and vector control district before applying to understand potential treatment considerations or costs associated with summer flooding.

To be notified when the next cycle opens, sign up for BirdReturns email updates: https://forms.gle/nmtnQuPAtvzUyV7B7. Questions: the BirdReturns Wetland Team at wetlands@audubon.org or 415-644-4601.

• BirdReturns program FAQ: https://birdreturns.org/faq/

• Airport exclusion map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1HB191Vikg7vOYh_Alt8_w7yZ0O87Dwk

• Mosquito & vector control district map: https://www.mvcac.org/membership/member-agency-map/

• Sign up for BirdReturns email updates: https://forms.gle/nmtnQuPAtvzUyV7B7

• All BirdReturns wetland programs: https://birdreturns.org/program/wetlands/