page_title: Alviso, San Jose
section_title: Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
hierarchical_section_title: Alviso, San Jose / Attractions / Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
caption_attribution_description: English: Aerial view of salts ponds (and former salt ponds) near Alviso, San Jose, California
context_page_description: Alviso is a neighborhood in San Jose, Santa Clara County, California, and until 1968, it was an independent city of the same name. It is at the north end of San José where it meets the southern end of the San Francisco Bay and borders the cities of Milpitas, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara.
  The Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek both end at Alviso, emptying into the Bay through Alviso Slough and Mud Slough. Alviso is the lowest point in the San Francisco Bay Area at 13 feet below sea level. Throughout the 20th Century, Alviso has been victim to severe flooding most recently in 1983 and 1995.
context_section_description: Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge, the first urban National Wildlife Refuge established in the United States, is dedicated to preserving and enhancing wildlife habitat, protecting migratory birds, protecting threatened and endangered species, and providing opportunities for wildlife-oriented recreation and nature study for the surrounding communities.
  As of 2004, the Refuge spans 30,000 acres (120 km²) of open bay, salt pond, salt marsh, mudflat, upland and vernal pool habitats located throughout south San Francisco Bay. Located along the Pacific Flyway, the Refuge hosts over 280 species of birds each year. Millions of shorebirds and waterfowl stop to refuel at the Refuge during the spring and fall migration. 
  In addition to its seasonal visitors, the Refuge provides critical habitat to resident species like the endangered Ridgway's rail and salt marsh harvest mouse. 
  The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge is part of a complex made up of six other wildlife refuges in the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded in 1974 and administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, It was renamed Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in 1995 in recognition of Congressman Don Edwards' efforts to protect sensitive wetlands in south San Francisco Bay.
caption: Aerial view showing salt ponds (and former salt ponds) in and around Alviso
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