Summary

Description

Selenium hazards to fish and wildlife associated with the disposal of agricultural drainage water in evaporation ponds was prominently brought to the attention of exotoxicologists by the severe episode of selenium poisoning among ducks and other waterbirds that occurred at Kesterson Reservoir in the mid1980s. in the immediate aftermath of the wildlife catastrophe al Kesterson Reservoir, natural resource managers were faced with an agricultural industry that was on the verge of creating a landscape absolutely awash with seleniferous evaporation ponds similar to Kesterson Reservoir. There was clearly an immediate need for precisely delineating the magnitude of the toxic threat already facing Pacific Flyway populations of waterbirds and for projecting the potential hazards associated with scenarios for the future. Accordingly a strong scientific basis for predictive risk assessment was uugent.ly needed.