Colusa National Wildlife Refuge

Colusa National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Map showing the location of Colusa National Wildlife Refuge

Map of the United States

Location Colusa County, California, United States
Nearest city Colusa, California
Coordinates 39°09′27″N 122°02′36″W / 39.15739°N 122.0433°W / 39.15739; -122.0433Coordinates: 39°09′27″N 122°02′36″W / 39.15739°N 122.0433°W / 39.15739; -122.0433[1]
Area 4,507 acres (18.24 km2)
Established 1945
Governing body U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
http://www.fws.gov/sacramentovalleyrefuges/r_colusa.html

Colusa National Wildlife Refuge is one of six refuges in the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex located in the Sacramento Valley of north-central California. [2] The refuge is located in Colusa County, California. It is around 70 miles (110 km) north of metropolitan Sacramento.

Geography

The 4,507-acre (18.24 km2) refuge primarily consists of intensively managed wetland impoundments, with some grassland and riparian habitats.

The Sacramento Valley is one of the most important wintering areas for waterfowl in North America.

Natural history

Colusa National Wildlife Refuge typically supports wintering populations of more than 200,000 ducks and 50,000 geese.

Wetland impoundments are intensively managed to provide optimal habitat for the dense concentration of wintering waterfowl, as well as habitat for resident wildlife and spring/summer migrants.

The grassland habitat supports several populations of endangered and sensitive species of plants. The refuge is a stronghold for populations of the endangered palmate-bracted bird's beak and the threatened giant garter snake. About 35,000 visitors come to the refuge each year for wildlife viewing and 4,000 come to hunt waterfowl and pheasant.

Gallery

References

External links


 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, November 25, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.