The San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a series of wildlife refuges established by the United States National Wildlife Service beginning in 1972. The complex incorporates five refuges in

San Diego County San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the fi ...

and

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

in California.

History

The first refuges were established to preserve and protect the rare birds of

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

's coastal marshes. In the mid-1990s, the system was expanded to protect larger areas of coastal and inland open space under the Multiple Species Conservation Program, a cooperative project involving city, state, and federal authorities. The wildlife refuge complex now supports a diverse array of habitats including coastal marshes and uplands, chaparral,

coastal sage scrub Coastal sage scrub, also known as coastal scrub, CSS, or soft chaparral, is a low scrubland plant community of the California coastal sage and chaparral subecoregion, found in coastal California and northwestern coastal Baja California. It is w ...

, oak woodland,

freshwater marsh A freshwater marsh is a non-tidal, non-forested marsh wetland that contains fresh water, and is continuously or frequently flooded. Freshwater marshes primarily consist of sedges, grasses, and emergent plants. Freshwater marshes are usually found ...

vernal pool Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are seasonal pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. They are considered to be a distinctive type of wetland usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe ...

areas, and breeding and nesting grounds for migratory and resident birds.

Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge

This refuge is located on the grounds of the

Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach is a United States Navy weapons and munitions loading, storage and maintenance facility located in Seal Beach, California, with detachments in Fallbrook and Norco, both also in California. It also encloses the ...

in Orange County. It includes 965 acres of saltwater marsh in the Anaheim Bay estuary. It was established in 1972 for the benefit of migrating birds up and down the

Pacific Flyway The Pacific Flyway is a major north-south flyway for migratory birds in the Americas, extending from Alaska to Patagonia. Every year, migratory birds travel some or all of this distance both in spring and in fall, following food sources, heading ...

as well as a variety of local birds, fish, and plants. Public access is limited to once-a-month guided tours.

San Diego National Wildlife Refuge

This is an inland refuge in San Diego's back country. Habitats include coastal sage scrub and chaparral to oak woodland and freshwater marsh. It is part of the Multiple Species Conservation Program and includes 44,000 acres.

San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge

This area was dedicated in 1999 and includes 3,940 acres. It includes

intertidal salt marsh A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is dominate ...

and submerged areas with

eelgrass Eelgrass is a common name for several plants and may refer to: * ''Zostera'', marine eelgrass * ''Vallisneria ''Vallisneria'' (named in honor of Antonio Vallisneri) is a genus of freshwater aquatic plant, commonly called eelgrass, tape grass o ...

beds. It is the largest remaining contiguous

mudflat Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal fl ...

in southern California and is an important stop for migrating birds on the Pacific Flyway. The area has walking and biking paths as well as vantage points for bird watching. It includes some former salt evaporation ponds which the wildlife service is trying to turn back into natural wetland. The state Wildlife Conservation Board contributed a grant in 2010 to try to restore 65 acres of highly damaged habitat in the refuge.

San Diego Bay Sweetwater Marsh

The Sweetwater Marsh area comprises 316 acres of

salt marsh A salt marsh or saltmarsh, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. It is dominated ...

estuary where the Sweetwater River enters

San Diego Bay San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port located in San Diego County, California near the U.S.–Mexico border. The bay, which is long and wide, is the third largest of the three large, protected natural bays on California's of c ...

. It was established in 1996. Some highly endangered species have been seen returning to the marsh since its establishment as a refuge. The

Living Coast Discovery Center The Living Coast Discovery Center is an environmental education center with marine animal, animal and bird exhibits located in the Sweetwater Marsh Unit of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge in Chula Vista, California. Permanent displays at t ...

is located at the Marsh. Formerly known as the Chula Vista Nature Center, the independent Living Coast Discovery Center is dedicated to providing environmental education on coastal resource conservation. Exhibits include many aquariums and displays of local marine life and reptiles, a

sea turtle Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, ...

lagoon, outdoor

aviaries An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds, although bats may also be considered for display. Unlike birdcages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages. Avi ...

of rescued birds, a shark and ray exhibit, and hiking trails. Guided hikes are available as well as educational programs for elementary school children. The center is located at the foot of E Avenue in Chula Vista, just west of

Interstate 5 Interstate 5 (I-5) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific coast of the contiguous U.S. from Mexico to Canada. It travels through the states of Califor ...

Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge

The Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge is a 1,051 acre wetland where the

Tijuana River , name_etymology = , image = Presa Tij 1.jpg , image_size = , image_caption = Dam on the Tijuana River in Mexico. , map = Tijuana River Basin.svg , map_size = 250 , map_caption ...

enters the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. It is also part of the Tijuana River

National Estuarine Research Reserve The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a network of 29 protected areas established by partnerships between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and coastal states. The reserves represent different biogeographic re ...

. It is the only coastal lagoon in California which does not have any roads or rail lines built across it. More than 370 species of birds have been recorded in the refuge and the adjacent Tijuana River valley. A visitor center is open to the public featuring educational programs and exhibits, four miles of trails, and a native plant garden.

Vernal pools

Vernal pool Vernal pools, also called vernal ponds or ephemeral pools, are seasonal pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals. They are considered to be a distinctive type of wetland usually devoid of fish, and thus allow the safe ...

s are temporary pools that form for a few months during the wet season and are dry the rest of the year. They house some of the area's rarest animals, including the San Diego fairy shrimp and the Western spadefoot toad, which lie dormant under the ground during the dry season and emerge when the pools refill with water. Vernal pools are of special interest within the complex because they are so rare. It is estimated that only 3% of the area's original vernal pools remain.Vernal Pools website
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References

{{authority control National Wildlife Refuges in California Wetlands of California Protected areas of Orange County, California Protected areas of San Diego County, California Protected areas of Southern California Protected areas established in 1972 1972 establishments in California