Established in 1970 within the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, the 9,621 acre Wilderness is administered by the U.

Combining the scrub lands of the Chihuahuan Desert with the riparian environment of the Pecos River and the Artesian basin of eastern New Mexico, Salt Creek represents a rare convergence of desert and wetlands.

Established in 1937, the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge is an important waypoint for thousands of migratory waterfowl, as well as the year-round home of a number of native species.

Between October and February, the seasonal wetlands of the 24,609-acre unit are a temporary home to tens of thousands of ducks, geese, and cranes, as well as large populations of white pelicans and snowy egrets.

The Area was originally proposed as a Wilderness area to protect the red rock bluffs at the north end of the unit, home to populations of native species such as roadrunners and quail, as well as cottontails, black-tailed jackrabbits, deer, coyotes, and bobcats.