At the southern end of California’s Salton Sea, this refuge protects a rare desert mix of shoreline, open water, wetlands, farmland, and scrub that makes it a crucial stopover and nesting area on the Pacific Flyway. The sea itself arose in 1905 when Colorado River floodwater broke into the Salton Sink, reviving a basin once occupied by ancient Lake Cahuilla. Established in 1930 and later renamed for Congressman Sonny Bono, the refuge supports remarkable birdlife despite extreme heat, high salinity, and shrinking habitat. Active wetland and cropland management now helps sustain hundreds of wildlife species as the Salton Sea’s broader ecological condition declines.