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SACRAMENTO NWR COMPLEX ALERTS

Updated June 26, 2024

ALERTS: 

  • PRESCRIBED FIRES JUNE 27 2024: Our fire crew will be conducting prescribed fires around our facilities and along part of the auto tour at the Sacramento NWR on Thursday, June 27 between 10am and 4pm - expect smoke in the area all day. The Auto Tour may be temporarily closed for visitor safety, so please honor any closure signs. We do not anticipate any issues with visitors accessing the Visitor Center building and bathrooms between 9am and 4pm while we're open.
     
  • WE'RE HIRING: We are seeking applicants for an ACE Visitor Services Support Member position (apply by June 28)! Visit our Get Involved page for more details!
Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is part of the SACRAMENTO NWR COMPLEX. Sacramento NWR offers a variety of recreational opportunities, including wildlife viewing, photography, hiking, hunting and so much more. The Visitor Center for the Complex is located at Sacramento NWR, where you can find maps/brochures, exciting programs, guided tours, exhibits, and a bookstore.
General Information

VISITOR CENTER IS OPEN

We are pleased to announce that our new Visitor Center is open Thursdays and Fridays from 9:00am-4:00pm (subject to change, closed on all Federal Holidays).

The new restrooms are located on the exterior of the building and are open every day from 1 hour before sunrise until 1 hour after sunset.

As we await the production of our new interpretive display, we will have some temporary tables set up with discovery items, coloring, and Junior Ranger workbooks. We hope to have the bookstore up and running soon. We will be a work-in-progress throughout the coming year, as we continue to work on the new displays, kiosks, native plant gardens and demonstration pond.

LIVE WEB-CAM

- What's the Weather Like? 
- Are there Birds at the Refuge? 
Check out the LIVE WEB-CAM at Sacramento NWR, brought to you by Friends of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge.  Click on their link to find out how you can get involved! --> www.friendsofsnwr.org
 

FOUND AN INJURED/ABANDONED ANIMAL?

The refuge does NOT rescue, rehabilitate or accept injured or orphaned animals.  If you need assistance, please contact a licensed care facility near you:
- Chico, CA vicinity:  Bidwell Wildlife Rehabilitation
- Sacramento, CA vicinity:  Wildlife Care Association
- For a statewide list of care facilities, visit the CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife's Wildlife Rehabilitation Facilities webpage.

Visit Us

Welcome to the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge!   

The Sacramento National Wildlife is one of the 5 National Wildlife Refuges and 3 Wildlife Management Areas that make up the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Sacramento NWR is the Headquarters for the Complex, and offers a Visitor Center, Auto Tour, trails, photography, waterfowl hunting and environmental education.  There LOTS of things for visitors to do across the Complex.... 

 PLAN YOUR VISIT <-- Click here to find all the information you need to plan your visit!

Links to the refuges of the Sacramento NWR Complex:

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is located about 70 miles north of the metropolitan area of Sacramento and 7 miles south of the town of Willows in Glenn and Colusa Counties. The refuge consists of 10,819 acres of wetlands, grasslands and riparian riparian
      Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.

      Learn more about riparian
      habitats. 

      Click on the link below to learn more about us!

      What We Do

      • Resource Management

      To help plants and wildlife, Refuge staff uses a variety of habitat management techniques to maintain, recover or enhance plant and wildlife values. Refuge staff carefully consider any management techniques and employ them in varying degrees according to the situation.

      • Conservation and Partnerships

      The Complex is involved in many conservation endeavors, including Comprehensive Conservation Plans, Private Landowner Programs, and the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act.

      Click on the link below to learn more about what we do!

      Our Organization

      National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997:The NWRS Improvement Act defines a unifying mission for all refuges, including a process for determining compatible uses on refuges, and requiring that each refuge be managed according to a CCP. The NWRS Improvement  Act expressly states that wildlife conservation is the priority of System lands and that the Secretary shall ensure that the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of refuge lands are maintained. Each refuge must be managed to fulfill the specific purposes for which the refuge was established and the System mission. The first priority of each refuge is to conserve, manage, and if needed, restore fish and wildlife populations and habitats according to its purpose.

      A bright blue sky obstructed by fluffy white clouds reflected off of a stream shot from inside a kayak
      The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages an unparalleled network of public lands and waters called the National Wildlife Refuge System. With more than 570 refuges spanning the country, this system protects iconic species and provides some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities on Earth.

      Our Species

      Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is best known for migratory waterfowl. Waterfowl are present September through April and numbers regularly peak at over 500,000 ducks and 250,000 geese. Sacramento NWR is an important wintering grounds for Tule Greater White-fronted Geese.  The Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex provides nearly 70,000 acres of wetland, grassland, and riparian riparian
      Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.

      Learn more about riparian
      habitats for a wide array of waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors, waterbirds, songbirds, reptiles, and mammals.  The Complex currently supports nearly 300 species of birds.

      Click on the link below to learn more about our Seasons of Wildlife, Wildlife Checklist, Wildlife Surveys, and Our Species....