John Vradenburg

Supervisory Biologist, Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge 

Tule Lake, CA

September 25, 2024

By the time John Vradenburg was 8 years old, he knew he wanted to be a biologist in the Klamath area. John is now the supervisory biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife at the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge. Westies met with John in the Refuge visitor center, situated on the now mostly dry Tule Lake and wetlands. The lake was drained in 1905, to create farmland and irrigation for homesteaders. 

During this visit, Westies received a history of the Klamath Basin, and learned about the vital role that wetlands play in the ecosystem as a whole. John described wetlands as “Both the heart and lungs of the basin.” They are climate resilient systems, and in the case of the Tule Lake and surrounding wetlands, created a microclimate in the area. The Klamath Basin is situated along the Pacific Flyway, with over 80 percent of migrating waterfowl passing through the refuge. The Pacific Flyway is the primary migratory corridor for birds, extending from Alaska to Patagonia. Wetland habitat, John explained, is crucial for these migratory birds. 

Before getting into the reeds of water complexities in the area, John showed Westies a map of how the basin used to look, with acres upon acres of wetland, which John described as “the everglades of the west”. Glad to be safe from alligators, Westies tried to imagine this landscape before the 95% reduction in wetland, leaving just 13,000 acres of year round wetland.

While John expressed the severity of the water situation for both the community, farmers, and wetlands, he left Westies with an optimistic vision for the future. He explained the need to transition focus to issues that are important to everyone, rather than individual polarizing issues. Additionally, we need to diagnose and fix ecosystem processes holistically, rather than just the symptoms. This change will bring the community together, and if we can work together, everyone will be better off. Westies had a wonderful time learning about wetlands and the collaborative work that John and the refuge is engaging in. 

by Owen Schott