List of California Department of Fish and Wildlife protected areas

Last updated September 24, 2022

This is a list of California Department of Fish and Wildlife protected areas. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), through its seven regional divisions, manages 262 protected areas statewide. This agency was formerly known as the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG).

Types

The protected areas are broadly categorized as:

Wildlife areas
Ecological reserves
Marine protected areas — under the 1999 Marine Life Protection Act

List of DFG protected areas

Site	Designation	DFG region
Albany Mudflats	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
Alkali Sink	Ecological Reserve	Central
Allensworth	Ecological Reserve	Central
Atascadero Creek Marsh	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
Bair Island	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
Baldwin Lake	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
Ballona Wetlands	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
Batiquitos Lagoon	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
Blue Sky	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
Boden Canyon	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
Boggs Lake	Ecological Reserve	North Central
Bolsa Chica	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
Bonny Doon	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
Buena Vista Lagoon	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
Butler Slough	Ecological Reserve	Northern
Butte Creek	Ecological Reserve	North Central
Butte Creek House	Ecological Reserve	North Central
Buttonwillow	Ecological Reserve	Central
By Day Creek	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
Calhoun Cut	Ecological Reserve	North Central
Canebrake	Ecological Reserve	Central
Carlsbad Highlands	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
Carmel Bay	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
Carrizo Canyon	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
Carrizo Plains	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
China Point	Ecological Reserve	Northern
Clover Creek	Ecological Reserve	Northern
Coachella Valley	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
Coal Canyon	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
Corte Madera Marsh	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
Cosumnes River	Ecological Reserve	North Central
Crestridge	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
Dairy Mart Ponds	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
Dales Lake	Ecological Reserve	Northern
Del Mar Landing	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
Eden Landing	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
Elkhorn Slough	Ecological Reserve	Central
Estelle Mountain	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
Fall River Mills	Ecological Reserve	Northern
Fish Slough	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
Fremont Valley	Ecological Reserve	Central
Goleta Slough	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
Indian Joe Spring	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
Joshua Creek Canyon Ecological Reserve	Ecological Reserve	Monterey County
Kaweah	Ecological Reserve	Central
Kerman	Ecological Reserve	Central
King Clone	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
Laguna Laurel	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
Loch Lomond Vernal Pool	Ecological Reserve	North Central
Lokern	Ecological Reserve	Central
Magnesia Spring	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
Marin Islands	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
Mattole River	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
McGinty Mountain	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
Morro Dunes	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
Morro Rock	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
Napa River	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
North Table Mountain	Ecological Reserve	North Central
Oasis Spring	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
Panoche Hills	Ecological Reserve	Central
Peytonia Slough	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
Piute Creek	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
Pleasant Valley	Ecological Reserve	Central
Point Lobos	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
Rancho Jamul	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
Redwood Shores	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
River Springs Lakes	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
Saline Valley	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
San Dieguito Lagoon	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
San Elijo Lagoon	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
San Felipe Creek	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
San Joaquin River	Ecological Reserve	Central
Santa Rosa Plateau	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
Springville	Ecological Reserve	Central
Stone Corral	Ecological Reserve	Central
Sycamore Canyon	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
Sycuan Peak	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
Thomes Creek	Ecological Reserve	Northern
Tomales Bay	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
Upper Newport Bay	Ecological Reserve	South Coast
Watsonville Slough	Ecological Reserve	Bay Delta
West Mojave Desert	Ecological Reserve	Inland Deserts
Woodbridge	Ecological Reserve	North Central
Yaudanchi	Ecological Reserve	Central
Anacapa	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Año Nuevo *	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Atascadero Beach	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Big Creek *	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Cambria *	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Cardiff and San Elijo	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Carmel Bay	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Crystal Cove	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Doheny	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Duxbury Reef	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Edward F. Ricketts *	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Elkhorn Slough *	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Encinitas	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Estero de Limantour	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Farallon Islands	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Farnsworth Bank	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Fort Ross	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Gerstle Cove	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Greyhound Rock *	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Julia Pfeiffer Burns	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
La Jolla	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Lovers Cove (Catalina Island)	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
MacKerricher	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Manchester and Arena Rock	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Mia J. Tegner	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Morro Beach	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Pacific Grove Marine Gardens	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Painted Cave	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Piedras Blancas *	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Pismo	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Pismo-Oceano Beach	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Point Buchon *	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Point Cabrillo	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Point Lobos	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Point Reyes Headlands	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Point Sur *	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Portuguese Ledge *	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Pyramid Point	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Refugio	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Robert W. Crown	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Russian Gulch	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Salt Point	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
San Diego-Scripps	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Sonoma Coast	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Soquel Canyon *	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Van Damme	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
White Rock (Cambria) *	State Marine Conservation Area	Marine
Abalone Cove	State Marine Park	Marine
Albany Mudflats	State Marine Park	Marine
Bair Island	State Marine Park	Marine
Batiquitos Lagoon	State Marine Park	Marine
Bolsa Chica	State Marine Park	Marine
Buena Vista Lagoon	State Marine Park	Marine
Corte Madera Marsh	State Marine Park	Marine
Dana Point	State Marine Park	Marine
Del Mar Landing	State Marine Park	Marine
Doheny	State Marine Park	Marine
Fagan Marsh	State Marine Park	Marine
Goleta Slough	State Marine Park	Marine
Irvine Coast	State Marine Park	Marine
James V. Fitzgerald	State Marine Park	Marine
Laguna Beach	State Marine Park	Marine
Marin Islands	State Marine Park	Marine
Niguel	State Marine Park	Marine
Peytonia Slough	State Marine Park	Marine
Point Fermin	State Marine Park	Marine
Redwood Shores	State Marine Park	Marine
Robert E. Badham	State Marine Park	Marine
San Dieguito Lagoon	State Marine Park	Marine
San Elijo Lagoon	State Marine Park	Marine
South Laguna Beach	State Marine Park	Marine
Tomales Bay	State Marine Park	Marine
Upper Newport Bay	State Marine Park	Marine
Morro Bay *	State Marine Recreational Management Area	Marine
Agua Hedionda Lagoon	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Anacapa	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Asilomar *	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Big Creek	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Big Sycamore Canyon	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Bodega	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Carmel Pinnacles *	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Carrington Point	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Catalina Marine Science Center	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Elkhorn Slough	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Gull Island	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Harris Point	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Heisler Park	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Hopkins	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Judith Rock	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Lovers Point *	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Moro Cojo Slough *	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Morro Bay *	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Natural Bridges *	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Piedras Blancas *	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Point Buchon *	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Point Lobos	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Point Sur *	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Punta Gorda	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Richardson Rock	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Santa Barbara Island	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Scorpion	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Skunk Point	State Marine Reserve	Marine
South Point	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Vandenberg	State Marine Reserve	Marine
Antelope Valley	Wildlife Area	North Central
Ash Creek	Wildlife Area	Northern
Bass Hill	Wildlife Area	Northern
Battle Creek	Wildlife Area	Northern
Big Lagoon	Wildlife Area	Northern
Big Sandy	Wildlife Area	Central
Biscar	Wildlife Area	Northern
Butte Valley	Wildlife Area	Northern
Buttermilk Country	Wildlife Area	Inland Deserts
Cache Creek	Wildlife Area	North Central
Camp Cady	Wildlife Area	Inland Deserts
Cantara/Ney Springs	Wildlife Area	Northern
Cedar Roughs	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Cinder Flats	Wildlife Area	Northern
Collins Eddy	Wildlife Area	North Central
Colusa Bypass	Wildlife Area	North Central
Coon Hollow	Wildlife Area	North Central
Cottonwood Creek	Wildlife Area	Central
Crescent City Marsh	Wildlife Area	Northern
Crocker Meadows	Wildlife Area	North Central
Daugherty Hill	Wildlife Area	North Central
Decker Island	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Doyle	Wildlife Area	Northern
Dutch Flat	Wildlife Area	Northern
Eastlker River	Wildlife Area	Inland Deserts
Eel River	Wildlife Area	Northern
Elk Creek Wetlands	Wildlife Area	Northern
Elk River	Wildlife Area	Northern
Fay Slough	Wildlife Area	Northern
Feather River	Wildlife Area	North Central
Fitzhugh Creek	Wildlife Area	Northern
Fremont Weir	Wildlife Area	North Central
Grass Lake	Wildlife Area	Northern
Gray Lodge	Wildlife Area	North Central
Green Creek	Wildlife Area	Inland Deserts
Grizzly Island	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Hallelujah Junction	Wildlife Area	North Central
Heenan Lake	Wildlife Area	North Central
Hill Slough	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Hollenbeck Canyon	Wildlife Area	South Coast
Honey Lake	Wildlife Area	Northern
Hope Valley	Wildlife Area	North Central
Horseshoe Ranch	Wildlife Area	Northern
Imperial	Wildlife Area	Inland Deserts
Indian Valley	Wildlife Area	North Central
Kelso Peak and Old Dad Mountains	Wildlife Area	Inland Deserts
Kinsman Flat	Wildlife Area	Central
Knoxville	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Laguna	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Lake Berryessa	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Lake Earl	Wildlife Area	Northern
Lake Sonoma	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Little Panoche Reservoir	Wildlife Area	Central
Los Banos	Wildlife Area	Central
Lower Sherman Island	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Mad River Slough	Wildlife Area	Northern
Marble Mountains	Wildlife Area	Inland Deserts
Mendota	Wildlife Area	Central
Merrill's Landing	Wildlife Area	Northern
Miner Slough	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Monache Meadows	Wildlife Area	Central
Morro Bay	Wildlife Area	Central
Moss Landing	Wildlife Area	Central
Mouth of Cottonwood Creek	Wildlife Area	Northern
Napa-Sonoma Marshes	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
North Grasslands	Wildlife Area	Central
O'Neill Forebay	Wildlife Area	Central
Oroville	Wildlife Area	North Central
Petaluma Marsh	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Pickel Meadow	Wildlife Area	Inland Deserts
Pine Creek	Wildlife Area	Northern
Point Edith	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Putah Creek	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Rector Reservoir	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Red Lake	Wildlife Area	North Central
Rhode Island	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Sacramento River	Wildlife Area	North Central
San Felipe Valley	Wildlife Area	South Coast
San Jacinto	Wildlife Area	Inland Deserts
San Luis Obispo	Wildlife Area	Central
San Luis Reservoir	Wildlife Area	Central
San Pablo Bay	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Santa Rosa	Wildlife Area	Inland Deserts
Shasta Valley	Wildlife Area	Northern
Silver Creek	Wildlife Area	Northern
Slinkard/Little Antelope	Wildlife Area	Inland Deserts
Smithneck Creek	Wildlife Area	North Central
South Fork	Wildlife Area	Central
Spenceville	Wildlife Area	North Central
Surprise Valley	Wildlife Area	Northern
Sutter Bypass	Wildlife Area	North Central
Tehama	Wildlife Area	Northern
Truckee River	Wildlife Area	North Central
Upper Butte Basin	Wildlife Area	North Central
Volta	Wildlife Area	Central
Warner Valley	Wildlife Area	North Central
Waukell Creek	Wildlife Area	Northern
West Hilmar	Wildlife Area	Central
Westlker River	Wildlife Area	Inland Deserts
White Slough	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta
Willow Creek	Wildlife Area	Northern
Yolo Bypass	Wildlife Area	Bay Delta

* Indicates protected area status will come into effect on September 21, 2007.

Related Research Articles

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), formerly known as the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), is a state agency under the California Natural Resources Agency. The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages and protects the state's wildlife, wildflowers, trees, mushrooms, algae (kelp) and native habitats (ecosystems). The department is responsible for regulatory enforcement and management of related recreational, commercial, scientific, and educational uses. The department also prevents illegal poaching.

Elkhorn Slough is a 7-mile-long (11 km) tidal slough and estuary on Monterey Bay in Monterey County, California. It is California's second largest estuary and the United States' first estuarine sanctuary. The community of Moss Landing and the Moss Landing Power Plant are located at the mouth of the slough on the bay.

The Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) was passed in 1999 and is part of the California Fish and Game Code. The MLPA requires California to reevaluate all existing marine protected areas (MPAs) and potentially design new MPAs that together form a statewide network. The MLPA has clear guidance associated with the development of this MPA network. MPAs are developed on a regional basis with MLPA and MPA-specific goals in mind and are evaluated over time to assess their effectiveness in meeting these goals. The five main goals of the Marine Life Protection Act are to maintain the diversity of marine ecosystems, conserve its populations, better educate people on human-marine life interactions, protect habitats, and effectively enforce MPAs. The establishment of this policy is an important step in expanding science-based management and decision making regarding policies.

According to the California Protected Areas Database (CPAD), in the state of California, United States, there are over 14,000 inventoried protected areas administered by public agencies and non-profits. In addition, there are private conservation areas and other easements. They include almost one-third of California's scenic coastline, including coastal wetlands, estuaries, beaches, and dune systems. The California State Parks system alone has 270 units and covers 1.3 million acres (5,300 km²), with over 280 miles (450 km) of coastline, 625 miles (1,006 km) of lake and river frontage, nearly 18,000 campsites, and 3,000 miles (5,000 km) of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails.

Asilomar State Marine Reserve (SMR) is one of four small marine protected areas (MPAs) located near the cities of Monterey and Pacific Grove, at the southern end of Monterey Bay on California’s central coast. The four MPAs together encompass 2.96 square miles (7.7 km²). The SMR protects all marine life within its boundaries. Fishing and take of all living marine resources is prohibited.

Carmel Bay State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) is a marine protected area in Carmel Bay. Carmel Bay is adjacent to the city of Carmel-by-the-Sea and is near Monterey, on California’s central coast. The marine protected area covers 2.12 square miles. Recreational fishing of finfish and limited commercial taking of kelp is permitted within the SMCA.

Moro Cojo Estuary State Marine Reserve (SMR) is a marine protected area established to protect the wildlife and habitats in Moro Cojo Slough. Moro Cojo Slough is located inland from Monterey Bay on the central coast of California, directly south of the more widely known Elkhorn Slough. The area covers 0.46 square miles (1.2 km²). The SMR protects all marine life within its boundaries. Fishing and take of all living marine resources is prohibited.

The North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve is a nature reserve of 3,315 acres (13.42 km²) located three miles (5 km) north of Oroville, in Butte County, northern California. The land was acquired by the state in October, 1993.

Del Mar Landing State Marine Reserve (SMR) is a marine protected area that lies onshore, about two miles (3 km) south of the town of Gualala and three and a half miles north of Sea Ranch in Sonoma County on California’s north central coast. The marine protected area covers 0.22 square miles (0.57 km²). Del Mar Landing SMR prohibits the taking of all living marine resources.

Carmel Pinnacles State Marine Reserve (SMR) is a marine protected area in Carmel Bay including a unique underwater pinnacle formation with adjacent kelp forest, submarine canyon head, and surfgrass. Carmel Bay is adjacent to the city of Carmel-by-the-Sea and is near Monterey, on California's central coast.

Lovers Point State Marine Reserve (SMR) is one of four small marine protected areas located near the cities of Monterey and Pacific Grove, at the southern end of Monterey Bay on California’s central coast. The four MPAs together encompass 2.96 square miles (7.7 km²). The SMR protects all marine life within its boundaries. Fishing and take of all living marine resources is prohibited.

Vandenberg State Marine Reserve (SMR) is a marine protected area located offshore of Vandenberg Air Force Base, near the city of Lompoc on California’s central coast. The marine protected area covers 32.84 square miles (85.1 km²). Vandenberg SMR protects all marine life within its boundaries. Fishing and take of all living marine resources is prohibited.

White Rock (Cambria) State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) is a marine protected area located off the coast of the city of Cambria, California on California’s central coast. The marine protected area covers 2.32 square miles (6.0 km²). Within the SMCA the take of all living marine resources is prohibited except the commercial take of giant kelp and bull kelp under certain conditions.

Eden Landing Ecological Reserve is a nature reserve in Hayward and Union City, California, on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay. The reserve is managed by the California Department of Fish and Game and comprises 5,040 acres of former industrial salt ponds now used as a low salinity waterbird habitat.

Famosa Slough State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) is a marine protected area in San Diego on California’s south coast. It consists of a 25-acre wetland and a 12-acre natural channel connecting to the San Diego River estuary. It is flushed by salt water from the estuary as well as rainwater from the surrounding neighborhood. It is owned and maintained by the City of San Diego as a natural park.

San Dieguito Lagoon State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) is a marine protected area near Del Mar in San Diego County on California’s south coast.

San Elijo Lagoon SMCA (SMCA) is a marine protected area that protects the lagoon near Encinitas in San Diego County on California’s south coast. The SMCA covers .44 square miles. The SMCA protects marine by limiting the removal of marine wildlife from within its borders. San Elijo SMCA prohibits take of all living marine resources except operation and maintenance, maintenance dredging, habitat restoration including sediment deposition, research and education, and maintenance of artificial structures inside the conservation area per any required federal, state and local permits, or activities pursuant to Section 632, or as otherwise authorized by the department.

Upper Newport Bay State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) is a marine protected area in Newport Bay in Orange County and the South Coast region of Southern California. It extends inland/northeast from the Pacific Coast Highway crossing of the bay, within the city of Newport Beach.

Bolsa Chica Basin State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) and Bolsa Bay State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) are two adjoining marine protected areas located in Orange County on the southern coast of California, United States. The SMCAs cover 0.66 and 0.07 square miles, respectively. The SMCAs protect marine life by limiting the removal of marine wildlife from within their borders.

Coon Island is an island in the Napa River, upstream of San Pablo Bay. It is in Napa County, California, and managed as part of the Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area. Its coordinates are 38°11′33″N122°19′24″W, and the United States Geological Survey measured its elevation as 3 ft (0.91 m) in 1981.

References

California Department of Fish and Game (2007). "DFG Wildlife Areas" . Retrieved 2007-09-09.
California Department of Fish and Game (2007). "DFG Ecological Reserves" . Retrieved 2007-09-09.
California Department of Fish and Game (2007). "Existing Marine Protected Areas in California". Archived from the original on 2007-10-18. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
"Landmark "Central Coast" Marine Protected Areas will be in Effect Sept. 21" (Press release). California Department of Fish and Game. 2007-08-31. Retrieved 2007-09-10.

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List of California Department of Fish and Wildlife protected areas

Contents

Types

List of DFG protected areas

Related Research Articles

References