The Santa Clara River and Coast Project at The Nature Conservancy is again working to notify and educate the aviation community about the annual breeding season of endangered birds found in this area. The Santa Clara River is home to several species of endangered migratory nesting birds which rely on undisturbed land, especially during breeding season. Breeding season begins on March 15th and goes until September 15th. During breeding season, it is requested that helicopters and small aircraft do not fly below 500 feet in the Santa Clara River Valley as to not disturb the nesting birds. Attached you will find a map with this information.
It is important to note that there have been recent concerns from The Nature Conservancy related to low-flying operations, however those concerns are not related to any locally-based operations. We do, however, encourage you to be mindful of this information and help spread the word.