Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge on the Land Conservation Assistance Network

Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Create an Account
last updated: April 2022

The Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which includes Castle Rock National Wildlife Refuge, was established in 1971, to conserve precious habitat for the great diversity of birds, mammals, fish, amphibians, invertebrates, and plants that occur along the Pacific Coast of northern California. The refuge has several different units totaling almost 4,000 acres. These units consist of a mosaic of mudflats, estuarine eelgrass meadows, saltmarsh, brackish marsh, seasonally flooded freshwater wetlands, riparian wetlands, streams, coastal dunes, and forest. These habitats support over 316 species of birds and 40 species of mammals. The majority of birds use the refuge as a stopover where they rest and replenish energy reserves. Others spend winter here, and some use the refuge for breeding and nesting. The wetlands around Humboldt Bay are critical to over half a million shorebirds during spring migration and have been designated a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network Site of Hemispheric Importance. More than 50% of the Pacific brant goose population refuels on the eelgrass meadows growing in the shallow parts of Humboldt Bay. The refuge also provides habitat for approximately 100 species of fish and marine invertebrates, many of which contribute to sport and commercial fisheries, including steelhead, coho and chinook salmon, and Dungeness crab.

Contact Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge

REMINDER: This listing is a free service of LandCAN.
Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge is not employed by or affiliated with the Land Conservation Assistance Network, and the Network does not certify or guarantee their services. The reader must perform their own due diligence and use their own judgment in the selection of any professional.