Boundary Bay Wildlife Management Area
Description
The wildlife management area encompasses the entirety of Boundary Bay, a shallow bay of the Salish Sea straddling the border between the Canadian province of British Columbia and the U.S. state of Washington. The northeastern portion of the bay, named Mud Bay after the large mudflats found there, is of particular importance due to the region's high biodiversity and ecological productivity.
The management area also protects the estuaries of the Serpentine and Nicomekl rivers, both of which drain into Mud Bay from the northeast.
Ecology
The intertidal salt marshes and mudflats of Boundary Bay support large communities of sea asparagus and various grasses. Common bird species found in the wildlife management area include American wigeon, great blue heron, western sandpiper, rough-legged hawk, northern harrier, bald eagle, and barn owl.
The bay supports a large harbour seal population, attracts grey whales and orcas, and provides spawning and feeding grounds for salmonids and Pacific herring.