Butte Sink Wildlife Management Area is part of the SACRAMENTO NWR COMPLEX (see table below for links to all NWRs/WMAs in the Complex). Butte Sink WMA does not have any lands open to the public. Most of the Butte Sink WMA consists of privately-owned properties under conservation easement. One property, known as the Butte Sink Unit, is owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service but is not accessible.

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Three partners look at a map of a wetland restoration project
Sacramento NWR Complex - Private Lands Programs
The Private Lands Program was initiated at Sacramento NWR Complex in 1981 to protect private wetlands in the Sacramento Valley for the benefit of migratory birds and other wetland dependent wildlife. Initially, the focus of the private lands staff was implementing the Service's Conservation...
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Butte Sink Wildlife Management Area is just one of the 5 National Wildlife Refuges and 3 Wildlife Management Areas that make up the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Butte Sink WMA primarily consists 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.

Find out more about Butte Sink WMA by exploring the menu to the left.

 PLAN YOUR VISIT <-- Click here to find out what other Refuges on the Complex have to offer, like.....

      • visitor center
      • auto tours
      • trails
      • photography
      • bicycling
      • hunting
      • environmental education

VISITOR QUICK-LINKS for Sacramento NWR Complex

Refuge
Home
Pages:

Maps with
Driving
Directions:

Trail Maps/
Visitor
Leaflets:

Wildlife
Checklists
& Surveys

Hunt
Maps:
PLAN YOUR VISIt
to the complex
(Complex includes
all refuges, below) 		 (see specific
refuges, below)		 -TRAILS page
-AUTO TOUR page
-BICYLCING page
-PHOTOGRAPHY page
-EDUCATORS page
-River NWR MAPS page		 -Wildlife Checklist
-Waterfowl Surveys		 -HUNTING page
-Riv NWR HUNTING page

Sacramento NWR

 Directions - Sac NWR -Visitor Maps -Sac NWR
-Wetlands Walk guide		 -Wildlife Checklist
-Waterfowl Surveys		 Hunt Map - Sac NWR

Delevan NWR

 Directions - Del NWR - -Wildlife Checklist
-Waterfowl Surveys		 Hunt Map - Del NWR

Colusa NWR

 Directions - Cls NWR Visitor Map - Cls NWR -Wildlife Checklist
-Waterfowl Surveys		 Hunt Map - Cls NWR

Sutter NWR

 Directions - Sut NWR Visitor Map - Sut NWR -Wildlife Checklist
-Waterfowl Surveys		 Hunt Map - Sut NWR

Sacramento
River NWR

 Riv NWR MAPS page Riv NWR MAPS page -Wildlife Checklist Riv NWR MAPS page

Llano Seco Unit
(STNCV WMA)

 Directions - Llano Seco Visitor Map - Llano Seco -Wildlife Checklist
-Waterfowl Surveys		 -

Butte Sink WMA

 - - -Waterfowl Surveys -

Willow Creek/
Lurline WMA

 - - - -

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      orange sunrise/sunset with some birds in water and 6 birds flying
      Image Details

      The Butte Sink Wildlife Management Area is part of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex. It is located west of the Sutter Buttes and east of the Sacramento River in Butte, Colusa, and Sutter counties.  It consists primarily of conservation easements on privately-owned wetlands, but also includes on 733 acre fee-title property known as the Butte Sink Unit.

      Click on the link below to learn more about us!

      What We Do

      tractor mowing levee road with mountains in background
      Image Details
      • 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

      large flock of pintail ducks flying in air and on water. trees in background. water in foreground
      Image Details

      The Butte Sink WMA represents the largest contiguous block of wetlands in the Sacramento Valley and typically supports up to 2 million wintering waterfowl and large numbers of the State-listed as threatened greater sandhill crane.  These wetlands also support significant populations of breeding herons, egrets, and other waterbirds.

      Species and Habitats  <-- Click here to learn more about our species and habitats!

      Wildlife Checklist  <-- Click here to view our Wildlife Checklist