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Welcome to Sonny
Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge
The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) is located 40
miles north of the Mexican border at the southern end of the Salton Sea in
California’s Imperial Valley. Situated along the Pacific Flyway, the
Refuge is the only one of it's kind, located 227 feet below sea level. Because
of its southern latitude, elevation and location in the Colorado zone of the
Sonoran Desert, the Refuge experiences some of the highest temperatures in
the nation. Daily temperatures from May to October generally exceed 100°F
with temperatures of 116°-120°F recorded yearly.
The Salton Sea National Wildlife
Refuge was established as a sanctuary and breeding ground for birds and wild
animals in 1930. In 1998, the Refuge was renamed after Congressman Sonny Bono,
who was an active role in trying to save the Salton Sea. Originally, it included
approximately 37,600 acres. Nearly 60 percent of the original acreage was
an open saline lake with the remainder comprised of shoreline alkali flats,
freshwater wetlands, native desert scrub and upland (farm fields). Due to
the inflow of agricultural effluent and a subsequent rise in the level of
the Salton Sea, all of the original Refuge area has been inundated. At present,
only about 2,200 manageable acres remain suitable for farming and wetland
development. Dikes are expected to keep the Sea from further encroachment
on surrounding lands. The topography of the Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR is flat,
except for Rock Hill, which is located at the Complex Headquarters. The Refuge
is bordered by the Salton Sea on the north and intensively farmed agricultural
lands on the east, south and west.
The Refuge is composed of two disjunctive units, separated by 18 miles of
private lands. Each unit contains managed wetland habitat, agricultural fields,
and tree rows. The courses of the New and Alamo rivers run through the Refuge,
providing freshwater inflow to the Salton Sea.
History
of the Salton Sea
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