Updates are posted here as new information is received. If the 'last-updated' timestamp is a few days old, it is because conditions have not changed since that time. Last updated 4/8/32026 11:45am*
All Refuge Areas are Open - No Closures to Report
Check out these seasonal recreation opportunities:
- Pool 2 Extension on the Sacramento NWR Auto Tour - open March 15-September 10
- Sacramento NWR Logan Creek Spring Trails - open February 15-June 30
- Sutter NWR Spring Trails - open February 15-June 30
*Before calling the refuge for updates, please review this section of our website or our social media pages. Any new information will be posted here and to our Facebook and Instagram promptly. Areas are subject to closure without notice. Please use extreme caution when driving the refuges, as flooding can occur without warning and road shoulders are soft and will not support your vehicle.
Did you find an injured or abandoned animal or bird?
The Refuge Complex does not rescue, rehabilitate or accept injured or orphaned animals.
Please visit California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Native Wildlife Rehabilitation webpage for what to do and frequently asked questions, noting the following (copied directly from CDFW's webpage):
- DO NOT intervene without proper guidance from a trained professional (i.e., capture, handle, confine, feed/water).
- DO NOT drop off wild animals at a location, unless instructed to do so.
Bald Eagle Nest - Sacramento NWR
A bald eagle pair is nesting at Sacramento NWR. To help them thrive, please stay in your vehicle and on designated roads. There’s a great alternative viewing area at the bench at Trail Marker 2 on the Wetland Walk Trail. Our Visitor Services team is available when the Visitor Center is open if you need assistance during your visit. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed. Thank you for enjoying wildlife responsibly.
Visit Us
Welcome to Willow Creek-Lurline Wildlife Management Area!
Willow Creek-Lurline WMA consists solely of properties that are privately-owned and under conservation easement conservation easement
A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a government agency or qualified conservation organization that restricts the type and amount of development that may take place on a property in the future. Conservation easements aim to protect habitat for birds, fish and other wildlife by limiting residential, industrial or commercial development. Contracts may prohibit alteration of the natural topography, conversion of native grassland to cropland, drainage of wetland and establishment of game farms. Easement land remains in private ownership.
Learn more about conservation easement , and therefore DOES NOT HAVE ANY LANDS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Although the Willow Creek-Lurline WMA is not open to the public, you can take a virtual tour to learn about what makes it special.
There are LOTS of recreational opportunities across the Complex, including a Visitor Center, Auto Tours, trails, bicycling, photography, hunting and environmental education.
Willow Creek-Lurline Wildlife Management Area is one of the 5 National Wildlife Refuges and 3 Wildlife Management Areas that make up the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex:
- Sacramento NWR
- Delevan NWR
- Colusa NWR
- Sutter NWR
- Sacramento River NWR
- Llano Seco Unit (STNCV WMA)
- Butte Sink WMA
- Willow Creek-Lurline WMA
Use the table (below), the left menu (computer), or the top right hamburger menu (three lines on mobile device) to navigate to the information that's most helpful for you:
Check out our VISIT US! page = a one-stop place for all your visiting questions, including: | ||
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Location and Contact Information
About Us
The Willow Creek-Lurline Wildlife Management Areais part of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex. It lies within the Colusa Basin, and is located approximately 10 miles south of the town of Willows in Glenn and Colusa Counties. It consists of conservation easements on privately-owned wetlands.
Click on the link below to learn more about us!
What We Do
- 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 consider any management techniques and employ them in varying degrees according to the situation.
- Conservation and Partnerships
The Complex is involved in many conservation endeavors, including Comprehensive Conservation Plans, Private Landowner Programs, and the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act.
Click on the link below to learn more about what we do!
Our Species
The Willow Creek-Lurline WMA supports tens of thousands of wintering waterfowl including a significant portion of the tule greater white-fronted goose population. In addition, the Lurline wetlands regularly support breeding tricolored blackbirds, a California-listed-as-threatened species.
Click on the link below to learn more about our Seasons of Wildlife and Our Species....