San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Welcome to San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex!

Beginning in 1972, a series of small National Wildlife Refuges - Seal Beach, Tijuana Slough, and Sweetwater Marsh - were established to preserve and protect the rare birds of southern California's coastal marshes. In the mid-1990's, San Diegans joined with state and ferderal agencies to protect larger areas of open space including coastal uplands, rare vernal pool wetlands, and in San Diego Bay. These National Wildlife Refuges were created to support the landscape-wide conservation effort and to preserve the rich diversity and quality of life for which the region is famous.