COMMISSION

Prairie City SVRA
The park landscape consists primarily of annual grasslands and rolling hills dotted by
native blue oak and cottonwood trees. Historical gold mining activity left cobble tailings in
the northernmost portion of the SVRA. Sand and aggregate mining also occurred on the
property, which required the creation of a large
open quarry that can be observed on the Yost
property. A wide range of birds and other wildlife
reside in the park. The open grasslands attract
raptors while brush habitats provide shelter
for California quail (Callipepla californica), wild
turkeys (Meleagrus gallopavo), and ring-necked
pheasants (Phasianus colchicus). Black-tailed
deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are commonly
observed in the morning or evening hours when
they come out to browse and coyotes (Canis
latrans) and bobcats (Lynx rufus californicus)
have been recorded on park wildlife cameras.
Other animals commonly observed included the California ground squirrel (Spermophilus
beecheyi), killdeer (Charadrius vociferous), turkey vultures (Cathartes aura), brush rabbits
(Sylyilagus bachmani), black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus), northern pacific
rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus), and western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis)
(Heitner and Elsom, 2015 Annual Monitoring Report of Wildlife Habitat and Trail Conditions
at Prairie City State Vehicular Recreation Area 2016, 6).
Special-status species are generally defined as those
species listed under the federal Endangered Species Act or
the California Endangered Species Act, or that are legally
protected or otherwise considered sensitive by federal, state,
or local resource conservation agencies and organizations.
Protected species at Prairie City SVRA include the federally
endangered vernal pool tadpole shrimp (Lepidurus packardii)
and the federally threatened vernal pool fairy shrimp
(Branchinecta lynchi). The state threatened Swainson’s hawk
(Buteo swainsoni) is a common nester in the park. In addition,
the federally threatened valley elderberry longhorn beetle
Rescued Swainson’s hawk
Elderberry bush
(Desmocerus californicus dimorphus) may be found in the
park’s blue elderberry trees (Sambucus mexicana) (Heitner and
Elsom, 2015 Annual Monitoring Report of Wildlife Habitat and Trail Conditions at Prairie City
State Vehicular Recreation Area 2016, 11).
2017 Program Report 111