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The California Red-Legged Frog has greatly been affected by the modification of the major waterways in Bay-Delta. The California Red-Legged Frog is affected by the changes that have been made to and surrounding the Bay-Delta. Water diversions, groundwater well development and stock pond or small reservoir projects can degrade or eliminate habitat ((USFWS 1995) (61 Federal Register 25825). Since the California Red-Legged Frog relies so much on an aquatic habitat it is important that they are granted a generous amount of “wet” land. Since the development of reservoirs and such it has caused the population to decline dramatically. The construction of large reservoirs either directly eliminated or further fragmented and isolated remaining populations into smaller areas of habitat (Jennings, Hayes and Holland 1992). Fragmentation was inevitable because reservoirs were sited at or just below the juncture of several tributaries, and filling of the reservoirs isolated frog populations in upstream tributaries because the in-tervening habitat of new reservoir was structurally unsuitable and/or had exotic predators (Jennings, Hayes, and Holland 1992). Therefore, the California Red-Legged Frog was forced from its native habitat, and was reduced to living in a smaller more confined area of habitat due to the expansion of reservoirs. With the limited amount of water the ponds will receive the California Red-Legged Frog may greatly be affected by periods of drought (61 Federal Register 25825). |