Burrowing Owls

Burrowing owls live in shrubsteppe and grassland habitats and nest in underground burrows instead of trees. They are 7.5-10 inches tall and may bob up and down while standing. Unlike most owls, they are active during the daytime. Burrowing owls are listed as a “WA Species of Greatest Conservation Need” due to habitat loss and lack of ground squirrels (and other burrowing mammals) that create holes where the owls can nest. 

In 2018, USDOE and its contractor installed new, artificial burrows to increase the number of places the burrowing owls could nest, and the population at Hanford has increased as a result. Burrowing owls have a diverse diet, preying on small mammals, birds, reptiles, bats, ground squirrels, small weasels, and even young burrowing owls.

White Bluffs Bladderpod

The White Bluffs Bladderpod is a rare and threatened plant species that only grows on the Hanford Reach. They grow in a narrow band that stretches for about 10 miles along the edge of the White Bluffs overlooking the Columbia River. White Bluffs Bladderpods are low to the ground, short-lived, perennial plants with cheerful yellow flowers that bloom in May, June, and July.

In 2013, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) listed the White Bluffs Bladderpod as a “threatened” species under the Endangered Species Act and set aside critical habitat for the plant. In 2022, the USFWS outlined an estimated $2.7 million recovery plan for the White Bluffs Bladderpod to improve the habitat and increase the population.

Due to the steep and exposed bluffs where the White Bluffs Bladderpod grows, the population is primarily vulnerable to landslides caused by the irrigation of adjacent croplands. The White Bluffs Bladderpod is also threatened by off-road vehicles, wildfires, and invasive plants like cheatgrass.

Sagebrush Lizard

Sagebrush lizards are small—between 2 and 3.5 inches long. Their back is grayish brown with three lighter stripes running along its length. Their underside is white, although adult males also have large bright blue patches on their stomach and throat.

Sagebrush lizards at Hanford tend to hang out in the transition zones between sand dunes and areas with mature shrubs. Most likely, the lizards use the shrubs for cover to protect them from predators and extreme heat, and then dart out into the open sand in pursuit of prey. Sagebrush lizards prey on small insects and other invertebrates such as spiders.

The sagebrush lizard is a federal species of concern and in Washington state it is listed as a “Species of Greatest Conservation Need” due to its rarity and dependency on sand dunes in the Columbia Basin. More than 70% of this habitat type has been lost since the 1970s.

Umtanum Desert Buckwheat

Umtanum Desert Buckwheat is an incredibly rare plant species that only grows at a single location—Hanford. The current population of Umtanum Desert Buckwheat consists of about 3,000 plants in a narrow band on Umtanum Ridge.

The plant performs a niche purpose of blooming in the middle of summer (when most other plants no longer bloom), which provides nectar for pollinators and insects during a particularly harsh season. Umtanum desert buckwheat is slow-growing and can live for more than 100 years. It is threatened by wildfires, rising temperatures, and invasive species, like cheatgrass.

Cryptobiotic Soil Crust

Cryptobiotic comes from Greek words meaning “hidden life”. While cryptobiotic soil may appear dry and lifeless, it plays a vital role in ecosystem health. The soil is alive with small, microscopic organisms that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Cryptobiotic soil consists of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), lichens, moss, green and brown algae, microfungi, and bacteria.

The crust looks rough, with peaks and valleys forming a thick, bumpy carpet. It joins loose soil particles together, providing stability, reducing evaporation, and preventing wind erosion and water runoff. The crust shelters small seeds from extreme weather conditions, ensuring a safe place where they can germinate and inhibits the invasion of non-native plants with large seeds, such as cheatgrass.

These soil crusts are extremely fragile. Soil disturbance from human activities is a major threat to this type of ecosystem. A thin layer of the crust takes 5-7 years to grow back and a thicker, more established layer of crust can take anywhere from 50 to 250 years to recover. Undisturbed areas with cryptobiotic soil crusts thrive at Hanford because the U.S. government restricts public access to the site.

Swainson’s Hawk

The Swainson’s Hawk is 18-22 inches tall, slim, with a fan-shaped tail. Adults are chocolate brown, with a speckled or rusty breast, white belly, and yellow claws. The Swainson’s Hawk is one of 26 raptor species found on the Hanford Site.

Swainson’s Hawks nest at Hanford from April to September. They have one of the longest known migration routes of any hawk.They travel from the Hanford Site to South America and back each year. On their winter journey south, they fly through Mexico and Central America in flocks that may number in the thousands.

They are known to build large stick nests on trees, cliffs, rocky outcrops, utility poles, and transmission towers. While breeding and raising their young at Hanford, they primarily prey on small mammals, including pocket gophers, pocket mice, and voles; reptiles and amphibians; small birds; and rabbits. The rest of the year they mainly eat insects, especially grasshoppers, crickets, and catepillars.

Swainson’s Hawks are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The U.S. Department of Energy has actively monitored these birds at Hanford since 1987, documenting their nest locations and tracking populations over time. Collision with vehicles, illegal shooting, and human disturbances are all threats to Swainson’s Hawk populations. Pesticides/insecticides are a main cause of death for Swainson’s Hawks because their diet largely consists of insects.

Great Basin Pocket Mouse

The Great Basin pocket mouse is the most commonly found mammal on the Hanford site. Great Basin pocket mice are keenly adapted to a desert environment. They can go through life without ever taking a drink—getting all of the water they need from the seeds they eat.

Pocket mice spend most of their lives in their underground burrows. Even during the times of year when they are more active, they usually only come above ground late in the evening or at night. Pocket mice don’t fully hibernate—they enter a state of sleep in which they are inactive but their bodily functions still work. They store seeds in their burrows to eat during the winter while resting underground.

Pocket mice use sagebrush, bitterbrush, and other shrubsteppe vegetation for protection against predators. Their diet consists mainly of seeds from forbs, grasses, and shrubs, but they also eat insects. As pocket mice forage for seeds, they place them in fur-lined external cheek pouches alongside their mouth for safekeeping.

Piper’s Daisy

The Piper’s Daisy is a small yellow and white-flowered perennial in the sunflower family. They bloom from May to June. A distinguishing feature are their prominent bristle-like hairs that form under the flower and on the leaves. Piper’s Daisies only grow in Washington state’s Columbia Basin. They can be found on open shrubsteppe intermixed with sagebrush.

Piper’s Daisies grow in the 200 East and 200 West areas of Hanford’s Central Plateau. They are highly impacted by human activities related to Hanford cleanup and are closely monitored on site. The Piper’s Daisy is also threatened by conversion of its habitat to agriculture, wildfires, and invasive species such as cheatgrass.

Great Basin Spadefoot Toad

Great Basin spadefoot toads are tan, light brown, gray, or olive and may have reddish-orange spots. They are about 1.5-2.5 inches long and prey on ants, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, and flies. Great Basin spadefoot toads primarily reside in shrubsteppe ecosystems. They use slow-flowing springs, seasonal pools, irrigation ditches, and ponds for breeding. They are nocturnal and completely terrestrial, only returning to water for breeding.

Spadefoot toads have the fastest development rate of any North American toad—spadefoot toad eggs hatch in 2-3 days and tadpole growth occurs in 1-2 months. Their rapid development allows them to breed in warm, shallow pools before the water evaporates under the hot desert sun.

The Great Basin spadefoot toad is named for jet-black horny “spades” that are on the inside of its hind feet. They are adapted to survive in arid climates by spending 7-8 months buried underground. They quickly bury themselves by using their hind feet to dig into the soil.