| San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
 | |
  Map of theUnited States | |
| Location | San Joaquin County,Stanislaus County, California, United States |
| Nearest city | Modesto, California |
| Coordinates | 37°37′33″N121°12′05″W / 37.6259°N 121.2014°W /37.6259; -121.2014[1] |
| Area | 7,000 acres (28 km2) |
| Established | 1987 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge |
TheSan Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area of along theSan Joaquin River in the northernSan Joaquin Valley, California. It is withinSan Joaquin County andStanislaus County.
It protects more than 7,000 acres (28 km2) ofriparian woodlands,wetlands, andgrasslands and hosts a diversity of native wildlife.
Established in 1987 under the authority of theEndangered Species andMigratory Bird Conservation Acts, the refuge has also played a major role in the recovery ofAleutian cackling geese.
Within the borders of the San Joaquin National Wildlife Refuge is one of California's largest riparianforest restoration projects.[2] 400,000native trees have been planted across 1,700 acres (6.9 km2) of the river'sfloodplain.[3] The major project was led by River Partners, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to restoringriparian zone habitat for wildlife.[4][5]
Riparian forests, which once covered large portions of California's Central Valley, have been greatly reduced due to state and federal water projects and diversions. The riparian habitat is host to many rare animals.Swainson's hawks nest in the canopy of tallcottonwood trees.Herons andcormorants form communal nesting colonies within the tops of the largeoaks on Christman Island. Endangeredriparian brush rabbits have been reintroduced to their historic habitat from captive-reared populations.[6][7][8] This population has been negatively impacted by thedestruction of theirriparian habitat.[9] Another subspecies, theSan José brush rabbit, is considered critically endangered.
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service.
