The 250-acre lake has a public viewing platform that is accessible through the Levee Road on the eastern side of the refuge. From the top of the platform, guests can view the lake that is maintained by a channel connected to Topock Marsh and percolating groundwater. Two endangered fish species, the razorback sucker and bonytail chub, utilize this backwater habitat. Elegant great blue herons and great egrets can be seen foraging for food along the water’s edge. Many species of waterfowl including northern pintail and cinnamon teal can be spotted bobbing on the water’s surface. Elusive Yuma clapper rails and sora can be heard calling over Beal Lake. Visitors are encouraged to bring binoculars or a spotting scope as there are no trails allowing for closer wildlife observation. 

Beal Lake Conservation Area began as a partnership between the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to create a haven for native fish on the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge near Needles, California. In working toward this goal, the partners determined that the project also offered an opportunity for the Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program to research efficient ways of using dredged material and test a variety of methods for establishing native plant communities.

In 2001, deep channels were excavated throughout Beal Lake. The excavated sediment was deposited on land adjacent to the lake where the material was mixed with existing soils and divided into a series of fields that could be independently planted, irrigated, and managed. Currently, maintenance dredging began in May 2019 to deepen the existing channels in Beal Lake to a target depth of 12 feet. Dredging operations are anticipated to be completed in September 2020.

The riparian portion of the Conservation Area was developed in two phases. The development of Phase 1 (61 acres) included the installation of an irrigation system, soil testing, and demonstration of several planting methods involving native vegetation. During Phase 2 (46 acres), Reclamation prepared additional fields for planting, tested irrigation systems, and demonstrated additional planting techniques, including various seeding methods.

In the winter of 2012, an additional 9 acres of habitat was developed into an area referred to as the Willow Marsh. The acreage was developed with the primary goal of augmenting the quality of habitat at the Beal Riparian site in ways that specifically target the habitat requirements of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (SWFL).

Currently, the Beal Lake Conservation Area supports a mosaic of cottonwood, willow, mesquite, and marsh habitat types, and continually draws breeding pairs of the Sonoran yellow warblers, Arizona Bell’s vireos, summer tanagers, and yellow-billed cuckoos. During the 2012 monitoring season, the conditions available on site attracted a territorial male SWFL, indicating that the site continues to develop into valuable habitat.

Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, originally named Havasu Lake National Wildlife Refuge, was established by Executive Order by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941 for the primary purpose of providing migratory bird habitat. The refuge is comprised of 37,515 acres along the lower Colorado River in Arizona and California. The refuge protects 30 river miles and encompasses 300 miles of shoreline from Needles, California, to Lake Havasu City, Arizona. One of the last remaining natural stretches of the lower Colorado River flows through the 20-mile-long Topock Gorge. 

Havasu National Wildlife Refuge is within the Pacific Flyway, a major north-south migratory route along the western coast of the United States. Hundreds of birds stop here to rest and refuel during their long journey. Many species also breed and overwinter here. Because of its importance to birds, the refuge is considered an Important Bird Area in the state of Arizona.

Historically, the Lower Colorado River wound its way through desert valleys and canyons surrounded by a dense riparian forest. Periodic flooding rejuvenated the landscape into a mosaic of willow and cottonwood trees and brought the dry desert to life. Wildlife thrived in the backwaters and forested habitat supported by the mighty river. However, with the construction of the Hoover Dam in 1936 and several other dams along the lower Colorado River, the natural restoration of the desert riparian habitat ceased. 
 
Havasu National Wildlife Refuge protects the remaining native riparian area and the surrounding desert upland and manages the landscape to provide habitat for endangered species and neotropical migrants.