5399316
Firefighters Working to Contain Island Fire

The U.S. Wildland Fire Service is responding to the Island Fire, located about 25 miles southwest of Ehrenberg, Arizona, in the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. The bridge on Hart Mine Road crossing the Colorado River collapsed due to structural damage. The area is closed to the public to allow firefighters to safely carry out suppression efforts.

For updated fire information, visit Inciweb. 

Cibola National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1964 as mitigation for the straightening, channelization, and armoring of the banks of the Colorado River by the Bureau of Reclamation to prevent flooding. The purpose of the 18,444-acre refuge is to protect and recreate the marshes, backwaters, and meanders that historically provided wintering grounds for migratory waterfowl and other wildlife that natural flooding would have formed. 
Cibola Compatibility Determination Review

The public comment period for the draft Compatibility Determination is now closed. All comments received will be reviewed and as appropriate, addressed in the final document. The final document will be posted on the website.

Visit Us

Colorado river flowing through Cibola National Wildlife Refuge
Image Details

National wildlife refuges offer us all a chance to unplug from the stresses of daily life and reconnect with our natural surroundings. Visitors have an opportunity to connect with nature in multiple ways. The lower Colorado River and its backwaters provide numerous outdoor recreational opportunities as well as a vital resource: water! 

Learn more about 2025 Cibola water resources. 

Location and Contact Information

      Our Species

      Flock of pintail on a spit of land next to the marsh.
      Image Details

      Migratory birds, wintering waterfowl, and endangered and threatened species can be found at Cibola National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge contains several miles of historic river channels and backwaters that provide key habitats in a changed environment. Because of the river's life-sustaining water, wildlife thrives in this environment where temperatures reach 120 degrees in the summer and the average rainfall is two inches per year. 

      Our Library