The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge is located in the Imperial Valley of California, 40 miles (64 km) north of the Mexican border.

Situated at the southern end of the Salton Sea, the refuge protects one of the most important nesting sites and stopovers along the Pacific Flyway.

This lake in the desert became a favorite getaway for Hollywood stars, and the Sea was stocked with sport fish to entice anglers.

This results in a highly saline body of water that is losing its ability to sustain fish and organisms essential for migrating birds that depend on it.

The land of the refuge is flat, except for Rock Hill, a small, inactive volcano, and is bordered by the Salton Sea on the north and farmlands on the east, south, and west.

[1] The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge encompasses many varied habitats despite its desert location.

Some specified impoundments are managed as permanent wetlands to provide critical nesting and year-round habitat for the endangered Yuma Ridgeway’s rail, while others are geared towards the propagation of plants favorable for food and cover through periodic flash flooding in the spring and summer months.

Tree rows continue to receive additional plantings throughout the year in order to add density and width, and to better meet wildlife and habitat objectives.

Up until 1960, enthralling species like the wood stork and roseate spoonbill could be seen in the hundreds foraging along and near the shoreline and roosting on tree snags.

As California's largest lake, the Salton Sea provides crucial feeding grounds for birds migrating from the Arctic to as far as South America.

[1] Depending on the season, other common birds to find on the refuge include: California brown pelican, American white pelican, black skimmer, mountain plover, eared grebe, ruddy duck, yellow-footed gull, northern shoveler, Ross’s goose, snow goose, Gambel's quail, roadrunner, cattle egret, white-faced ibis, American kestrel, marsh wren, sandhill crane and hundreds more.

Muskrats are present in freshwater drains and ponds where their feeding and burrowing activities help maintain marsh habitats for various other wildlife species.

[1] Due to environmental factors, amphibians are not found in large numbers or diversity at the Sonny Bono Salton Sea NWR.

Lowland leopard frogs respond well to shallow, permanent wetland habitat created for the Yuma Ridgway's rail.

[1] Fish were initially brought into the lake with the water that originated from the Colorado River and included native species, such as carp, rainbow trout, striped mullet, humpback sucker, and desert pupfish.

High salinity levels, combined with greater concentrations of nutrients and toxins, have altered the sea's ecosystem and surrounding habitat, making it difficult for most fish and bird species to survive.

[2] Over time, federal, state, and private entities have developed proposals to manage and restore parts of the Salton Sea.

The current and most prominent restoration initiative, the Salton Sea Management Program (SSMP), was released by the State of California in 2017.

Some federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Reclamation (part of the Department of the Interior), are collaborating with the State of California to implement the SSMP.

Unlike in areas such as Lake Tahoe, the Everglades, and the Chesapeake Bay, Congress has not authorized a comprehensive program to restore the Salton Sea.

More recently, Salton Sea Refuge has become heavily involved with fish and wildlife disease and contaminant issues.

The ½-mile trail encircles one of the freshwater ponds, a favorite nesting spot for the endangered Yuma clapper rail.