Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge, National wildlife refuge in Imperial County, California, United States.

The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge contains marine, freshwater, wetland, and agricultural habitats spread across thousands of acres in Southern California. The landscape sits far below sea level and supports diverse plant and animal communities.

The area took shape after a major Colorado River flood in 1905 that created Salton Sea. Protection status came in 1930, and decades later the refuge received its current name in honor of a U.S. congressman.

The refuge's name honours Sonny Bono, the congressman who died in 1998 and had pressed Congress on the Salton Sea's environmental problems and secured funding for the refuge. Birders visit for species tied to the Pacific Flyway, among them western and whimbrel curlews, American avocets and red-necked phalaropes. The American Bird Conservancy lists it as an Important Bird Area.

The visitor center at West Sinclair Road provides maps and information to help plan your visit. The cooler months bring the most active bird watching, making them ideal times to explore the area.

The refuge's two units lie 18 miles (29 km) apart, separated by private farmland, so birders crossing between them pass through agricultural land. The wetlands are flooded with "class 1" irrigation water from the Imperial Irrigation District, free of fertilizers and toxic pesticides. Salt cedar and sesquenia are the weed species managers fight.