Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge

Sweetwater Marsh NWR, Imperial Beach, California: This bit of salt-marsh habitat, just 315 acres, is all that’s left of the huge salt marshes surrounding San Diego Bay. The refuge was developed as a result of a court-ordered settlement over a development plan that would have included a hotel, a flood-control channel, and a highway-widening project. The refuge, a satellite of Tijuana Slough Refuge, is home to the endangered least tern, Belding’s savannah sparrow, and light-footed clapper rail. The visitor center features a sea life petting pool and a burrowing owl aviary. Access is via shuttle bus from the parking lot in Chula Vista.