Sacramento River National Wildlife Refuge extends along the Sacramento River through California’s Sacramento Valley, protecting a riparian corridor within a landscape heavily shaped by rice fields and orchards. Considered one of the most important wildlife habitats in California and North America, it includes the Llano Seco Unit and remains in an active acquisition phase. A major purpose of the refuge is large-scale restoration of riparian habitat along a river system where such vegetation has been drastically reduced. With about 85 percent of riparian vegetation lost across the valley and foothills, and more than 95 percent along major rivers, the refuge preserves and restores habitat vital to threatened species, fisheries, migratory birds, native plants, and the river’s natural functioning.