Santa Margarita

Friends of the Santa Margarita River P.O. Box 563 Wildomar, CA 92595 www.santamargaritariver.org

The Santa Margarita River is the last free-flowing river in coastal southern California. It forms the most extensive riparian corridor in the region, a virtually unbroken line of woodland and scrub from Temecula to the coastal wetlands. It is the only waterway that contains most of its original complement of native species, making it a living museum of the way southern California used to be and an ideal place to study natural processes.

The incredible diversity of plant and animal species in the Santa Margarita River basin includes more than 500 plants, 236 birds, 52 mammals, 43 reptiles and amphibians, and 24 species of aquatic invertebrates. This regional ecosystem is like an ark: a refuge of biodiversity where native plants and wildlife are able to survive and thrive. The Santa Margarita riparian corridor contains the highest density and overall diversity of bird species of any natural area in a southern California coastal river basin, including the least Bell’s vireo and the southwestern willow flycatcher. The 268-acre estuary is located in the southwest corner of Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, and teems with wildlife. The sand dunes and mudflats of the wetlands provide the nation’s largest nesting area for the California least tern as well as an important nesting area for the snowy plover.

The Friends of the Santa Margarita River work to preserve the river and its 740 square mile watershed, monitor wildlife and educate the public.