Definitely worth a check, because when it is good, it can be excellent. The wetland attracts tens of thousands of snow, Canada, cackling and greater white-fronted geese in spring with numbers peaking in mid-March. Later on as water levels drop, the main basin and several smaller wetlands to the south offer excellent shorebird watching. One of the better fall migration wetlands.
In late spring the area is used by many shorebirds, including several sandpipers and piping plovers. Breeders include northern harriers and short-eared owls. Occasional flocks of sandhill cranes stop and bald eagles are regular in early spring. Up to 500,000 waterfowl have been seen here at the peak of spring migration. Harvard WPA is one of the Rainwater Basin playa lakes.