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.
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