[4] The park is part of the larger Grasslands Ecological Area (GEA), a 160,000-acre complex (65,000 ha) of federal, state, and private lands dedicated to wildlife conservation.

[5] Located in the San Joaquin River Basin of the Central Valley, this diverse landscape encompasses a rich tapestry of habitats, from semipermanent and permanent marshes to riparian corridors, vernal pools, wet meadows, native uplands, and expansive grasslands.

Annually, the area hosts hundreds of thousands of waterbirds, including a wide variety of duck and goose species, alongside vast numbers of shorebirds.

This remarkable concentration of diverse ecosystems within the GEA fosters an extraordinary richness of flora and fauna, positioning the area as a cornerstone of California's biodiversity conservation efforts.

Ultimately, the threatened closures were avoided through budget adjustments, including reduced operating hours and cutbacks in maintenance across the state park system.