U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Stone LakesNational Wildlife Refuge

Stone Lakes Refugeserves as an oasisfor migrating birdsand other wildlifein California’sCentral Valley.

Elk Grove

Stone LakeN.W.R.

Freeport

Elk Grove Blvd Exit

Elk Grove Blvd

5

99

Sacramento River

Sacramento

Create It

Whether it’s fall and flocks of geeseare landing in wetlands andgrasslands or spring, and warblersare foraging in tree-lined waterways,Stone Lakes National WildlifeRefuge (NWR) protects wildlife inthe midst of an urban setting inCalifornia’s Central Valley.

Located just 12 miles from the state’scapitol, the Stone Lakes area hasthree permanent lakes–Beach Lake,North Stone Lake, and South StoneLake. These large bodies of waterserve as magnets for fish and wildlifein the northern Sacramento-SanJoaquin River Delta.

The refuge is a part of a vast complexof seasonally flooded agriculturallands and natural managed wetlandsthat provides resting, feeding andresting habitat for thousands of birdsmigrating along the Pacific Flyway.

Area residents and public officialslong recognized the need to preservethis open space for wildlife. In 1994,the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(Service) established Stone LakesNWR as the 505th refuge in theNational Wildlife Refuge Systemto protect these habitats fromintensive agricultural developmentand urbanization.

Nearby Yet AWorld Apart

North StoneLake, with itsassociated marshand woodlandhabitat

Experience It

Any season is a great time to visitStone Lakes. The wildlife and plantshave adapted to the suddenabundance of spring vegetation, thepenetrating heat of summer and the“tule” fog and floods of winter. Refugeaccess is limited, but increasing, asmore land is protected and therecreational program develops.

After months of no precipitation,rainfall and water pumped fromwaterways transform the landscapeinto flooded wetlands and wetmeadows in time for the arrival offall migrants.

Dunlins, black-bellied plovers andsmaller shorebirds inhabit the shallowwetlands. The larger shorebirds, suchas American avocets and greateryellow legs, feed in deeper water,depending on the length of their billsand legs.

Mallards, green-winged teal, anddozens of other waterfowl arrive,descending hundreds of birds at atime. Greater sandhill cranes alsoappear, foraging in the pasturesand croplands.

Flocks of greater white-frontedgeese and Canada geese announcewinter, filling the basin with theircackling and honking. Along withthousands of geese and ducks,shorebirds and sandhill cranes, theyrest and feed on the seasonallyflooded wetlands, grasslands andsurrounding farmlands.

Fall

Winter

Greateryellowlegs

Greater sandhillcranes

Egrets and herons join inthe action, commuting backand forth to construct nestsin their refuge rookeries.

The skies are also alive withbirds of prey, fromSwainson’s hawks toperegrine falcons. Flocks ofwhite-crowned sparrows andgold finches feed and findcover in old fields borderingthe tree-lined waterways.

Resident coyotes hunt thegrasslands, river ottersnavigate slough waters and

California ground squirrels searchfor forgotten seeds. Winter rain fillsdepressions in the grasslands calledvernal pools. Moisture awakens tinyorganisms, including endangeredfairy and tadpole shrimp, that willhatch in early spring.

Occasionally, prolonged winterstorms flood the entire basin,stunning Interstate 5 travelers witha view of extensive wetlandsbrimming with waterfowl,reminiscent of how the area mayhave appeared a hundred years ago.Holding winter floodwater is good forthe birds, offers important spawninghabitat for fish, such as thethreatened Sacramento splittail, andprovides flood protection for theSacramento region — one of thepurposes of the refuge.

Tern over water

Great egret

Experience It

Warmer weather evaporates water inthe vernal pools, leaving colorfulbands of goldfields, downingeas andother unique plants. As the pools dryup, fairy shrimp complete their lifecycle, laying thousands of eggs thatremain dormant in the soil until therains return.

The wetlands also begin to dry,where black-necked stilts, Americanavocets and other shorebirds makeuse of nesting islands andconcentrated food. Green heronsand American bitterns nest at pondsand lakes with dense stands of tulesand cattails.

Trees and shrubs come alive withsongbirds in hues of yellow, red andblue. Many migratory birds answerthe ancient call to migrate to theirnorthern breeding grounds.

The refuge offers special guidedtours to a rookery where you can seedouble-crested cormorants, greatblue herons and great egretsreturning to the nest to feed theirfuzzy-headed young.

Wood duck

Spring

Killdeer

Herons, egrets and cormorants and afew waterfowl remain through thesummer on lakes where water isstill abundant.

Songbirds are numerous alongtree-lined waterways, from ash-throated flycatchers and loggerheadshrikes to blue grosbeaks andwestern meadowlarks.

Sheltered by the ground-level canopyof dried grasses, rodents, lizards andsnakes travel a maze of hiddenrunways, retreating to their burrowsto avoid the mid-day heat andpredators. As the temperature climbscoyotes, blacktailed jack rabbits andother wildlife also limit their activity.

Insects – nature’s pollinators andrecyclers – are also evident. Colorfulbeetles, butterflies and grasshoppersgreet visitors along walking trailsbordered by flowering elderberryshrubs, California hibiscusand sunflowers.

Summer

Mallards

Swallowtailbutterfly

Learn From It

A Rich History The original inhabitants of this areawere the Plains Miwok who madetheir camps along the lakes’shorelines, where they hunted andfished. Since there were no stones inthe lakes, they baked mud into clay tomake such necessities as fishingweights, cooking balls and ornaments.They constructed their homes fromtules and wove intricate baskets fromgrasses growing along thewaterways. Today, the refuge workswith the modern-day Miwok toprotect their cultural sites andprovide native plants for traditionaluses and environmental education.

The lakes of the Stone Lakes Basinwere historically much larger andteemed with wildlife. Tule elk, grizzlybears, and other wildlife were once soplentiful that nearby locations werenamed for them, such as Elk Grove,Badger Creek and Grizzly Island.

The names of the lakes have changedover time. Some believe that the mostrecent name, Stone Lakes, came froma local landowner, Mr. RockwellStone, a former Sacramento residentand well-known San Franciscanduring the mid-1800s.

The Lakes

Tundra swans

Stone LakesBasin

The Railroad

Agriculture

The Stone Lakes Basin is located inthe Cosumnes and Mokelumne Riverwatersheds and the Sacramento-SanJoaquin River Delta. Floodwatersfrom these river systems and the180-square mile Morrison Creekwatershed replenish the basin’s largelakes, wetlands and riparian streamsduring winter storms. Extensiveflooding caused by heavy winter rainsand spring thaws was reduced byconstruction of the Sacramento Riverflood control system.

In 1910, Southern Pacific Railroadbuilt an elevated railroad line thatsimultaneously divided andinterconnected the basin lakes. Thedirt for the elevated line came from a“borrow” channel that filled withwater and formed a connectionamong the lakes. Pumps periodicallydrained the lakes, allowing the landto be cleared for crop cultivation.Today, this channel enables tidalinfluence to extend northward fromthe Delta.

Southern Sacramento County’sagriculture has changed significantlyin the last 15 years. It has shiftedfrom grazing lands and corn, wheatand other grain crops that wildlifeneed to intensively farmed vineyardsand housing developments, which

have little valuefor wildlife. Evenwith all of thesechanges in thearea wildlife wasstill plentiful,providing anexcellentopportunity toestablish anational wildliferefuge to protectthe remaininghabitat for futuregenerations.

Looking at the refuge today, evenfrom a passing vehicle, travelers seerenovated wetlands bordered byrestored maturing trees. The viewwas different in the early 1900s, whenthere were fewer wetlands and muchof the area’s riparian corridors(streamside forest) had vanished.

To orchestrate this change, theService worked with the communityto identify a project area of 18,200acres where it could cooperativelymanage or acquire land from willingsellers. To finance these efforts, therefuge has raised millions of dollarsin private, state, and federal grants.

Today the refuge includes over 4,000acres that the Service owns orcooperatively manages with a numberof partners within the refugeboundary, including the SacramentoCounty Regional Parks Recreation,and Open Space, SacramentoRegional County Sanitation District,and the California Departments ofTransportation, Parks andRecreation, and Water Resources.

ManagementPartners

HomeImprovement

Restore It

Long-billeddowitchers

American whitepelicans

Restoration programs aretransforming land that once layfallow, or was intensively farmed,into productive grasslands, wetlandsand riparian habitat. Workingtogether volunteers, staff, schoolchildren and others have plantedthousands of young valley oaks,cottonwoods and willows. Cattle feedon weeds and non-native grasses aspart of a grazing program to bringback native vegetation and createshort grass habitat that is, onceagain, attracting sandhill cranes,geese and shorebirds.

Red-wingedblackbird

Restoration

Sacram

ento River

Legend

Refuge Project Boundary

Headquarters

Visitor Information

Road

Railroad

Closed to Public Use

Limited Public Use(Call office for details)

Snodgrass Slough

La

Hood Frankli

0 3.21.6

0 21

Kilometers

Miles

CA/NV Refuge Planning Office, August 2001

5

?

N

160

Elk Grove

99

Elk Grove Blvd

Morrison Creek

Lost Slough

Lambert Road mbert Road

Twin Cities Road

in Road

Sacramento

Franklin Road

?

Cosumnes River Preserve

104

Share It

Since wildlife conservation is theprimary mission of the NationalWildlife Refuge System, the refugestrives to balance conservationneeds with educational andrecreational programs.

Visitors can enjoy opportunities forwildlife viewing, photography, andinterpretation on the refuge. Otherrecreational opportunities are beingdeveloped, with special emphasis onyouth and barrier-free access.

In August 2000, the refuge dedicatedits first wildlife viewing facility, a100-foot wooden boardwalkculminating at a 12-foot high wildlifeviewing platform. The new facilityis fully accessible to those withmobility impairments.

On the second and fourth Saturdaysof the month, the trail to the viewingplatform is open and docents arepresent to offer viewing tips. Special

guided tours arefrequentlyoffered. To findout more aboutvisiting hours,tours and specialevents, call therefuge’srecordedinformation lineat 916/775-4420.

Stone Lakes offers environmentaleducation programs and school tours,by reservation. More than 2,000scouts and school children annually.Throughout the year, the refuge andits partners also host a variety ofspecial events, from tree planting,weeding, and refuge cleanup to Walkon the Wildside, a full day on therefuge with exhibits, tours andchildren’s activities.

RecreationalOpportunities

EducationalPrograms

Wildlife viewingplatform

Care For It

Respect “Closed Area” signs thatrestrict access to sensitive areas.

Stay on established roads and trails.

Watch for poison oak and ticks (Maythrough July).

Avoid approaching wildlife or movingtoo close to nests or dens.

Keep dogs and other pets at home;pets are not permitted on the refuge.

Take only memories (no collecting)and please remove all litter.

The refuge’s goals could not beaccomplished alone. More thanany other force, Stone Lakes wasestablished and is being restoredthrough partnerships. The staffhas slowly built ties with otherlandowning agencies, conservationgroups and many of itsfarming neighbors.

It has also worked with partnerson many special projects, suchas becoming one of the NationalAudubon Society’s ImportantBird Areas, controlling uplandweeds and water hyacinth — anon-native plant that chokeswaterways, and developing otherrecreational programs.

Partners MakeIt Work

VisitorGuidelines

Wildlife watchers

Beltedkingfisher

See It

The refuge is undeveloped. Thereis a portable restroom, but nodrinking water.

Weather and other conditionscan become extreme. Wear good

walking shoes(waterproofduring the rainyseason), a hatand properclothing for theweather.

Bring personalcomfort items,such assunscreen, insectrepellent, waterand allergymedicine.

Don’t forgetbinoculars, fieldguides and otheraids to help yousee wildlife.

Come Prepared

Raccoons

Be patient. Move quietly andslowly. Remember, wild animalsstartle easily.

Remain on marked trails. Stay in agroup. Allow for periods of silence tolet wildlife adjust to your presence.

Use binoculars, spotting scopes andyour ears to help locate wildlife or getclose-up views.

Use field guides to identify wildlife,their habits and habitats.

Watch for wildlife where two habitattypes meet, such as a pond andgrassland. These edges provide coverand forage and are frequently usedby wildlife.

Look for tracks and scat along trailsto identify species living in a habitat.

Respect the rights of other visitors.

Stone Lakes NWR’s location andbiodiversity make it unique – and sodo its supporters!

Viewing Tips

California rose

Dunlins andleast sandpipers

Kootenai WetlandsSupport It

For those who live in cities, the needto “reconnect” to nature is becomingstronger than ever. Reconnecting isnot only the desire to smell thebreeze, watch a bird fly or sittranquilly by the water. For many,reconnecting means getting activelyinvolved in preserving the naturalworld and making it better.

You can support Stone Lakes NWRthrough scouting and school projectsor during family restoration days.You can become a volunteer and helpwith special events, guided tours,bird surveys, restoration, refugecleanup, office duties and more.

You can also become involved in theStone Lakes NWR Association, anon-profit organization that supportsrefuge activities.

For information, contact the refugeMonday through Friday, between7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Make the RefugeYours

School project

NearbyAttractions

The Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area is justto the north, Cosumnes RiverPreserve and the Isenberg CraneReserve are to the south, and theSacramento-San Joaquin River Deltais part of our western border.

“Equal opportunity to participate in andbenefit from the programs and activities ofthe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is availableto all individuals regardless of age, race,religion, color, sex, national origin, disability,sexual orientation, status as a parent,protected genetic information. Please directany questions to the U.S. Department of theInterior, Office of Equal EmploymentOpportunity, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington,D.C. 20240.”

Burrowing owl

Red-tailed hawk

Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge1624 Hood-Franklin RoadElk Grove, CA 95758916/775 4420 phone916/775 4407 faxwww.fws.gov

California Relay ServiceTTY 1 800/735-2929Voice 1 800/735-2922