USFWS · National wildlife refuge · California

Merced National Wildlife Refuge

The Merced National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 10,262 acres (41.53 km2) of wetlands, native grasslands, vernal pools, and riparian areas in California. It was established in 1951 under the Lea Act to attract wintering waterfowl from adjacent farmland where their foraging was causing crop damage. In the last few decades, changes in agricultural practices and refuge management have reduced these wildlife/crop issues.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge3,822 acresUSFWSCA
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateCalifornia
Size3,822 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 8
Center point37.1788, -120.6326
Night skyVery dark ground, a faint glow at most (Black Marble reading 26)

Boundary map

2 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 14 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Merced National Wildlife Refuge?

3,822 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Merced National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Merced National Wildlife Refuge in?

California.

Source: How states are assigned

How do I get to Merced National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 37.179, -120.633. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

How dark is the night sky at Merced National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 26 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, very dark ground, a faint glow at most.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Are there historic places near Merced National Wildlife Refuge?

14 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Buhach Grammar School and Tioga Hotel.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Description: Merced National Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.