Newly Discovered Midge in Sacramento River Bypass

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/903902.html

New to science Chironomid is the reason Salmon and other species thrive when the bypasses to the Sacramento River Flood.

Very interesting article for me since I grew up in Sacramento ( late '40s through 1960 ). The old Yolo Causeway was a very narrow four lane bridge about 8-10 miles long, as I recall. The ultimate trust in a new driver in our family ( I was the youngest of four ) was to be allowed to drive the Causeway - absolutely no room for error.

The bypass was a large expanse of grassland, when dry, and flooded plain during the wet season. Used to be a lot of rice farming there during the '50s and maybe beyond. Now we find out that the midges that were hanging out there all that time were an undiscovered - unnamed would be a better word - species.

John

I read this article with a bit of surprise because not even the ‘my backyard’ expert knew about them!

There is a similar circumstance on the Nile when it floods area that have been arid for years, there is a sudden increase in the number of chronomids in the area that normally does not happen. Similar species / habits as the Sacremento one?

Like they say, there is nothing new under the Sun!