| Boundary Bay Wildlife Management Area | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)[1] | |
 | |
| Location | Boundary Bay,British Columbia,Canada |
| Coordinates | 49°02′38″N122°57′13″W / 49.04389°N 122.95361°W /49.04389; -122.95361[2] |
| Area | 11,470 ha (44.3 sq mi) |
| Designation | Wildlife Management Area |
| Established | 21 June 1995 |
| Governing body | FLNRORD |
| Website | WMA Boundary Bay |
Boundary Bay Wildlife Management Area is awildlife management area encompassing the entire Canadian portion ofBoundary Bay in theLower Mainland ofBritish Columbia. It was established by theBritish Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRORD) on 21 June 1995 to conserve critical habitat formigratory bird species and resident fish and marine mammal species. It is part of the largerFraser River Delta Ramsar Site.[3]
The wildlife management area encompasses the entirety ofBoundary Bay, a shallowbay of theSalish Sea straddling the border between theCanadian province of British Columbia and theU.S. state ofWashington. The northeastern portion of the bay, namedMud Bay after the largemudflats found there, is of particular importance due to the region's high biodiversity andecological productivity.[4]
The management area also protects the estuaries of theSerpentine andNicomekl rivers, both of which drain into Mud Bay from the northeast.[4]
Theintertidal salt marshes andmudflats of Boundary Bay support large communities ofsea asparagus and various grasses. Common bird species found in the wildlife management area includeAmerican wigeon,great blue heron,western sandpiper,rough-legged hawk,northern harrier,bald eagle, andbarn owl.[4]
The bay supports a largeharbour seal population, attractsgrey whales andorcas, and provides spawning and feeding grounds forsalmonids andPacific herring.[4]
Media related toBoundary Bay Wildlife Management Area at Wikimedia Commons
