Delevan National Wildlife Refuge, Wildlife refuge in Colusa County, California, US

Delevan National Wildlife Refuge covers 5,797 acres in Colusa County, about 80 miles north of Sacramento. It holds over 4,500 acres of managed wetlands and 1,200 acres of uplands, with a primitive roadside overlook on the Maxwell-Colusa Highway where roughly 1,000 visitors watch wildlife each year.

Delevan National Wildlife Refuge is one of six refuges in the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which manages wetlands across the Sacramento Valley. The refuge lies in Colusa County, about 80 miles north of Sacramento, and covers 5,797 acres, including over 4,500 acres of managed wetlands and 1,200 acres of uplands. It was created to secure wintering habitat for waterfowl after the Central Valley lost 95 percent of its wetlands over the past century.

The refuge is a hunting area as well as a viewing site: about 7,000 people hunt there each year, while an estimated 1,000 visitors watch wildlife from a primitive roadside overlook along the Maxwell-Colusa Highway. The winter flocks number more than 200,000 ducks and 100,000 geese.

Maxwell Road and Four Mile Road are the two main routes for exploring the refuge, either on foot or by car. Winter is the best time to visit for bird activity, though access may be limited during high water periods or seasonal management work.

A rare plant called palmate-bracted bird's beak grows here, found in only a handful of locations across California. It depends on the specific wet and dry cycles that managers maintain through water control throughout the year.