Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge
| Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge | |
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 Map of the United States
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| Location | Imperial County, California, United States |
| Nearest city | Brawley, California |
| Coordinates | 33°9′N 115°44′W / 33.150°N 115.733°WCoordinates: 33°9′N 115°44′W / 33.150°N 115.733°W |
| Area | 2,200 acres (9 km2) |
| Established | 1930 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge |
The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge is located 40 miles (64 km) 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 its kind, located 227 feet (69 m) below sea level. Because of its southern latitude, elevation and location in the Colorado 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 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 played an active role in trying to save the Salton Sea. Originally, it included approximately 37,600 acres (15,200 ha). Nearly 60 percent of the original acreage was an open saline lake with the remainder being 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 acres (8.9 km2) manageable remain suitable for farming and wetland development.
The topography of the refuge is flat, except for Rock Hill, which is located at the refuge 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 (29 km) 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.
The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1930 by executive order as a breeding ground for birds and wild animals. Primary objectives on the refuge include endangered species production and maintenance, sensitive species production and maintenance, wintering waterfowl maintenance, and other migratory bird management. Refuge habitats are intensively managed. Ponds, forests, and agricultural fields are designed, developed and manipulated to achieve wildlife objectives.
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