| San Luis National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
North levee, San Luis Refuge - March, 2007 | |
Map of theUnited States | |
| Location | Merced County, California, United States |
| Nearest city | Los Banos, California |
| Coordinates | 37°12′00″N120°48′04″W / 37.19994°N 120.80103°W /37.19994; -120.80103[1] |
| Area | 26,600 acres (108 km2) |
| Established | 1966 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | San Luis National Wildlife Refuge |
TheSan Luis National Wildlife Refuge in theSan Joaquin Valley ofCentral California is one of the great remnants of a historically bountiful wintering grounds for migratorywaterfowl on thePacific Flyway. Located in the Bear Creek, Salt Slough, andSan Joaquin River floodplain, it hosts a myriad of tree-lined channels andoxbows,wetlands and nativegrasslands.
Thousands of acres of wetlands, fed by an intricate set of canals, are managed to produce natural food supplies formigratory waterfowl. San Luis also contains the most extensive network of pristine native grasslands,shrubs, andvernal pools that still remain within the Central Valley.
Thousands upon thousands ofmallard,pintail,green-winged teal, andring-necked ducks flock into the managed wetlands; while thewood duck lives throughout the tree-linedslough channels.
Herons andegrets nest in matureoaks andwillows and feed on the refuge's abundantfrog andcrayfish populations. A wide diversity ofsongbirds,hawks, andowls also use refuge habitat.
Hunting is allowed in the winter season on a portion of the refuge, which also holds a herd of reintroduced endangeredtule elk, the smallest subspecies of all American elks.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service.