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Welcome to Humboldt Bay NWR Complex!
Humboldt Bay NWR | Dunes Units | Castle Rock NWR Humboldt Bay NWR is located on Humboldt Bay on the northwest California coast. The refuge has two main purposes: to protect and enhance wetlands and bay habitats for migratory birds, especially black brant, and to protect endangered species and their habitats, including the Humboldt Bay wallflower. The refuge includes the Lanphere and Ma-le'l Dunes, one of the most pristine remaining dune ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest. It also administers Castle Rock NWR, a 14-acre island located less than a mile off the California coast, which contains the largest breeding population of common murres in California and provides a roost for Aleutian cackling geese during migration. Concentrations of migratory waterbirds--especially shorebirds--occur in the fall, winter, and spring. In winter, it is not unusual for over 100,000 birds to use the Bay as a feeding or resting site. The main reason for these waterbird concentrations are the eelgrass beds and extensive mudflats. These also make the Bay an important spawning, nursery, and feeding area for fish and other marine life. Endangered/threatened species present are the peregrine falcon, bald eagle, brown pelican, Humboldt Bay wallflower, and beach layia. This refuge has been described as one of the most important areas in the U.S. south of Alaska for black brant. This is especially true during the spring when the Bay is a key staging area for brant prior to their return to arctic nesting grounds. The Lanphere and Ma-le'l Dunes Unit protects endangered and rare plants within rare dune plant communities. The refuge contains one of very few dune systems in which the underlying processes are intact.
Humboldt Bay NWR and Castle Rock NWR are two of over 540 sites in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Enjoy the refuge: 1-hour, 2-hours, and full day suggestions (518K pdf) |
Last updated:
November 5, 2008
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