WILDLIFE REFUGES

Here are some of the important regulations you need to know:

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Boaters in those days would enjoy seeing the small herd up around the Blankenship Bend area, one tour boat company sent my grandparents an invitation to see the wild horses from their tour boat. But then in the early 1980's the refuge manager asked the BLM to remove them. They failed to capture one mare who lived the rest of her life alone in the refuge - which is cruel for a herd animal. We would see her throughout the 90's while riding our horses, then she was no longer seen. She was the last wild horse in Havasu, and you can thank the refuge manager of the 80's and the BLM for that.

I took these pictures of a small band of wild burros just outside of Crystal Beach outside of the refuge in the fall of 2008. They were coming out of the refuge every day until the weather cooled down enough for the off-roaders to get active in the area, then the burros quit coming out of the refuge. Got too noisy and busy for them to stick around.

There are two national wildlife refuges here, Havasu National Wildlife Refuge and the Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge, and they have regulations.

Official Regulations of the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge

Personal Watercraft
Motorized personal watercraft (PWC) such as Sea Doos, Wave Runners, and Jet Skis are not allowed in the backwaters off of the main Colorado River channel. Waterbirds such as grebes, bitterns, and herons build their nests in vegetation near open water. Wakes from PWCs can knock these nests loose from vegetation, causing mortality of nestlings or abandonment of the nest by the parents.

No Wake Zones
All other watercraft allowed into these backwaters are restricted to wakeless speed or otherwise will be posted as no watercraft entry. Please respect the regulatory buoys placed in these backwaters.

Water Skiing and Recreational Towing
You cannot water ski, tube, wake board, or tow other recreational crafts from the north buoy line at Interstate 40 to the south buoy line near Castle Rock. State and Federal regulations apply in all areas on Havasu National Wildlife Refuge.

For the complete list of regulations, click here:

THAT said, Havasu National Wildlife Refuge protects 30 river miles (300 miles of shoreline) of the Colorado River from Needles, California, to Lake Havasu City. Other than birds and waterfowl, bighorn sheep, burros, and coyotes, the majority of our desert animals are nocturnal. Now I have seen pictures of bighorn sheep here, Kenny Samp of Sunset Charter & Tours has taken several pictures of them, I have one of his pictures at the top of this page, but I have lived here 38 years and have yet to see one! I guess I should have Kenny take me on a tour to see them?

One of the biggest thrills for me, having spent my first 14 years of life living in California cities and being a total horse lover, was seeing the wild horses that used to live here. I said USED TO live here, unfortunately. Back in the 60's a wild stallion used to run across the landing strip on the peninsula (now island), stopping planes from landing or taking off. He was caught and then trained by my former 4H leader Pat Vaughn, then one of my good friends Jill Newhagen grew up on him. His name was Blue and he was a great horse. But in the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge there lived a small herd of wild horses that would disappear into the tall tules whenever they'd spot you.

In 1977 I was with some friends in a boat going up river when I saw a small white stripe sticking out of the tules. My friends had a camera with a large zoom lens so I started taking pictures. The first picture shows what I first spotted, the second is zooming in a bit, then the third we moved the boat a little closer, he turned into the tules and I zoomed in real close -

In Havasu's early days the wild burros were a common sight throughout town, all over town. You could see them grazing the grass at the State Bank in the mornings, or standing under Palo Verde tree shade during the heat of the day. I looked out my bedroom window late one night to see a burro looking back in at me. But the town grew and the BLM started removing the burros, now they're pretty much regulated to the wildlife refuges, and guess what? The wildlife refuge managers don't want them there either.

In recent years, just over 100 burros were removed in 2000. In the summer of 2008, the refuge manager had the BLM remove more wild burros from the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, calling in the controversial Cattoors to chase them with helicopters into corrals set up in the refuge, they caught and removed 85 wild burros. I still hear some braying in the refuge at night now and then but there sure aren't many left now.

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Lake Havasu City sits in the middle of the Havasu Burro Herd Area, established in the 1970's when the BLM was mandated by the Wild and Free-roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971 to protect and preserve both wild horses and burros on the federal lands where they were found to be living.

In the third picture you can see scars on his back, he was obviously a stallion who'd been in a few battles over mares.

For a complete Species List of animals living in the Havasu NWR, go here.

Another animal you might get a glimpse of in the refuge are wild pigs. I have seen them duck into tules on little sandbar islands in the river while kayaking, and hiking in the refuge you're likely to see wild pig tracks. Hopefully you won't run into them, I understand they can be quite aggressive. Mostly though they'll run and hide.

From a distance they look like hippos, don't they? Like you're on an African Safari. Kenny Samp took this photo also.

Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge

The Bill Williams NWR begins at the south end of Lake Havasu, on the other side of the Bill Williams Bridge. It is not easily accessible and I've never been in it. The one road in seems to be closed indefinitely according to their website. I've been meaning to take my kayak down into the Bill Williams River but haven't done it yet, maybe it's time I do it! Other than the following information, I'll just let you visit their website to find out more about this wildlife refuge.

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Fishing and Boating

Fishing for striped and largemouth bass, catfish, bluegill, and other fish is permitted on Lake Havasu according to Arizona Game and Fish Department regulations. Please use catch-and-release techniques with any native fish captured and report captures to refuge personnel.

Boating is permitted only at NO WAKE SPEED. Water skiing and personal watercraft are prohibited. All applicable Arizona boating regulations must be followed.

A Few Simple Rules

Camping, fires, firearms, trapping, and off-road vehicle operation is prohibited. All vehicles, including other forms of transportation including but not limited to bicycles, horses, mules, and motorcycles are confined to the La Paz County road right-of-way. The maximum speed is 25 mph. Travel beyond the road is by foot only.

Domestic animals must be kept under control (such as on a leash). This includes dogs used for hunting. All vehicles and drivers must be licensed.

All plants, animals, and minerals are protected. Removal or undue disturbance of any of these (except for those species legally taken by hunting or fishing) is prohibited. No prospecting, metal detectors or rock hounding is allowed.

Please leave only your footprints; take all litter with you.

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Here's the way I look at it. Take those burros out of the picture, take that mustang out of the other picture, and what do you have left to look at in the wildlife refuge? Wildlife? No. Sand, rocks, sparse plants, tules..... and those burros and mustangs were living here LONG before we were, they had seniority and the least we can do is let them live peacefully on some land.

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