Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge

Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Map showing the location of Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge
Map showing the location of Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge
Map of the United States
LocationWashoe County, Nevada, United States
Nearest cityReno, Nevada
Coordinates39°57′15″N 119°30′30″W / 39.95417°N 119.50833°W / 39.95417; -119.50833
Area247 acres (100 ha)
Established1913
Governing bodyU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
WebsiteAnaho Island National Wildlife Refuge

The Anaho Island National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge on Anaho Island in Pyramid Lake, Nevada.[1] The refuge was established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913 as a sanctuary for colonial nesting birds. It is home to one of the two largest colonies of pelicans—American white pelicans—in the western U.S. Other birds found on the island include California gulls, Caspian terns, double-crested cormorants, great blue herons, black-crowned night herons, and snowy egrets.[2]

No boats are allowed within 1000 feet of the refuge.[3] Refuge staff and volunteers visit the island to keep track of birds and band juvenile pelicans. An estimated 8-10,000 pelicans used to return to Anaho Island each spring from their winter homes in Southern California and Baja California, Mexico. In recent years the number of pelican nests have dropped dramatically, due to water diversions affecting the fish runs of the endangered cui-ui, a staple food of the pelican.[4]

  1. ^ Nevada Atlas & Gazetteer, 2001, pg. 34
  2. ^ [1] Profile of Anaho Island NWR from US Fish and Wildlife Service
  3. ^ "Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Fishing Camping and Boating Regulations. Approved: August 19, 2015" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  4. ^ "article". The Pahrump Valley Times. April 1, 2005. Retrieved 15 January 2011.[dead link]