Merced Grasslands Project

One of the largest and most intact vernal pool-grasslands habitats in the world. The Merced Grasslands, a 125,000-acre swath of biologically rich prairie, support a unique assemblage of native species. The vernal pools, ringed by wildflowers in the spring, harbor a number of rare and endangered species, such as fairy shrimp and Orcuttia grasses, that are adapted to the annual succession of long wet and dry weather cycles. The pools attract large flocks of wintering waterfowl and shorebirds in the rainy season. The Merced Grasslands extend over 200 square miles on the eastern edge of the San Joaquin Valley, mainly in eastern Merced County.