Resource Management

To help plants and wildlife, refuge staff uses a variety of habitat management techniques to maintain, recover or enhance plant and wildlife values. Refuge staff carefully considers any management techniques and employ them in varying degrees according to the situation.

Farming
Sonny Bono Salton Sea Refuge was designed to reduce waterfowl depredation to adjacent croplands. Management practices include an intensive farming program that involves cooperative farmers. Crops are grown for waterfowl consumption during the winter.
Wetlands
The refuge also manipulates water levels in ponds to provide ideal habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl.
Disease Monitoring
More recently, Salton Sea Refuge has become heavily involved with fish and wildlife disease and contaminant issues. The refuge routinely surveys the Salton Sea for dead or dying fish and wildlife. Fish and wildlife are removed from the area in order to prevent the spread of disease and sent to the lab for investigation.
Wildlife Surveys
Ground and aerial wildlife surveys are conducted throughout the year to inventory populations and document habitat use.
Prescribed Burns
Prescribed buring techniques are used to help native plants recover.