San Diego National Wildlife Refuges (NWR) is located
on the east side of San Diego Bay in the cities of Chula
Vista and National City. The Refuge is comprised of 316
acres of salt marsh and coastal uplands along the Pacific
Flyway. Approximately 75% of California's wetlands have
been destroyed, and 91% of San Diego Bay's wetlands have
been filled in, drained, or diked.
Sweetwater Marsh is an endangered species refuge that
provides habitat for two federally endangered species
of bird, one federally endangered plant, a State of California
endangered bird species and one threatened species of
bird. Sweetwater Marsh is the only place in the United
States where yerba reuma (Frankenia palimeri), a member
of the heath family, grows naturally. The Refuge provides
habitat for a variety of migrating shorebirds and wintering
waterfowl. Over 200 species of birds have been recorded
at Sweetwater Marsh.
Sweetwater Marsh functions as an essential link between
Multiple Species Conservation Program wildlands, the South
San Diego Bay NWR, and the Tijuana Slough NWR in Imperial
Beach. The Nature Interpretive Center, operated by the
City of Chula Vista, has museum designation and offers
visitors opportunities for education, wildlife interpretation
and viewing and limited hiking trails on the refuge. Nature
Center education programs reach over 3,000 students in
the South Bay in a formal classroom and field-study environment,
trains 2,100 South Bay teachers, and hosts 48,000 visitors
each year in the Interpretive Center and on refuge lands.
Sweetwater Marsh:
- Preserves South San Diego Bay wetlands necessary for
both resident birds and thousands of shorebirds and
waterfowl migrating or overwintering along the Pacific
Flyway each year.
- Conserves South San Diego Bay's last salt marsh habitat.
- Provides habitat and protection for the federally
endangered light-footed clapper rail and California
least tern, as well as a federally endangered plant,
salt marsh bird's beak, State endangered Belding's savannah
sparrow and threatened Western snowy plover.
- Provides environmental education to thousands of school
children and adults each year, and recreation and interpretive
opportunities in urban San Diego County.
- Provides opportunities to implement recovery actions
for endangered species and wetlands restoration and
research.
