The area is part of an ongoing restoration project, it also provides habitat to wildlife and offers nearby recreation opportunities.

[4] The lake is located just off a trail, half a mile from the parking area near Gate 12 of Cal Expo and 700 meters from the American River.

[5] To prepare for the golf course, the structure of the depression that forms Bushy Lake was changed and compacted, altering its shape and bathymetry.

[6] The development of the Golf Course was halted by efforts from the Save the American River Association and support of the Bushy Lake Preservation Act, with the intent of protecting the remaining riparian area.

[6] The work on the golf course stopped when the act was passed in 1976, today the land is currently owned by Cal Expo and managed by Sacramento County parks.

[8] Assembly Bill 889 also requires that the preservation and management of Bushy Lake and the flood plains of Cal Expo conform to the standards and regulations of the American River Parkway Plan.

[10] The red-eared slider is an invasive species that competes with the western pond turtle for basking sites and food resources.

[6] Wildlife spotted at Bushy Lake include:the western pond turtle, North American River Otter, red tailed hawks, Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetles, the Willow Flycatcher, and many other bird species.

[2] As a result of different stressors, such as fire and drought, there has been an increase in the biomass of invasive species in the area that prosper in drought-like conditions.

[1] A vegetation survey of the area revealed native and non-native species present at Bushy Lake, 52% are native to the area and include trees, bushes, and herbaceous understory including: beardless wild rye (Elymus triticoides) and Santa Barbara sedge (Carex barbarae), elderberry (Sambucus Mexicana), coyote brush (Baccharis pilularis), California blackberry (Rubus ursinus), California grape (Vitis californica), sandbar willow (Salix exigua), arroyo willow (Salix lasiolepis), Goodding's willow (Salix gooddingii), box elder (Acer negundo), and Fremont's cottonwood (Populus fremontii).

[2] Bushy Lake also offers organized volunteer opportunities that include weeding and prepping sites for future research.