| Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
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  Map of the United States | |
| Location | Humboldt County, California, United States |
| Nearest city | Eureka, California |
| Coordinates | 40°42′59″N124°13′04″W / 40.71651°N 124.21783°W /40.71651; -124.21783[1] |
| Area | 4,000 acres (16 km2) |
| Established | 1971 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge |
Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge is located onHumboldt Bay, on theCaliforniaNorth Coast near the cities ofEureka andArcata. The refuge exists primarily to protect and enhancewetland habitats for migratory water birds using the bay area, including tens of thousands ofshorebirds,ducks,geese,swans, and theblack brant. Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, along with other public and private lands around Humboldt Bay, is one of the key stopovers for the millions of migratory birds that rely on thePacific Flyway. More than 200 bird species, including 80 kinds of water birds and fourendangered species, regularly feed, rest, or nest on the refuge or other areas around the bay.
The bay provides habitat for approximately 100 species of fish, many of which contribute to sport or commercial fisheries, and provides habitat for fish includingsteelhead,coho, andChinook salmon. During the spring, the bay'seelgrass beds are a key staging area forbrant goose prior to their return to Arctic nesting grounds; and the refugegrasslands provide important habitat for thousands of Aleutiancackling geese. Like many of the refuges in the system, this one was established to preserve habitats recognized to be instrumental to the perpetual survival of migratory birds and other wildlife. Each spring, over 20,000 Aleutian cackling geese roost on the island from late January through early April.Castle Rock National Wildlife Refuge also serves as a haul out for resting marine mammals includingharbor seal,northern elephant seal,California sea lion, andSteller sea lion.
The refuge is the largest part of the Humboldt National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which is headquartered south of Eureka at itsLoleta, California site. The "Complex" is an administrative entity that also manages theLanphere Dunes Unit and theCastle Rock National Wildlife Refuge. Lanphere Dunes, located on the northern seaward shore of Humboldt Bay, contains the most pristine remaining dune ecosystem in thePacific Northwest and supports rare and representative examples of older forested dunes, young active dunes, dune swale wetlands, andcoastal salt marsh. Castle Rock National Wildlife Refuge is a 14-acre (57,000 m2) island located 80 miles (130 km) north of Humboldt Bay (less than 1-mile (1.6 km) off the Pacific Coast) nearCrescent City. The island serves as the second-largestseabird nesting colony in California. Castle Rock Refuge has the largest breeding population ofcommon murres in California.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Media related toHumboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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