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Drone Rules for Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge
Alamo, Texas (TX)
• United States
3325 Green Jay Road, Alamo, TX 78516, USA
Lat: 26.0823 • Lng: -98.1355
Rules Edit History: Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge
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Mapped shape change
Old outline is gray. New outline is blue.
May 30, 2026 7:45 AM
Approved
• Added USFWS drone prohibition for Santa Ana NWR with CBP border surveillance drone deconfliction, ocelot/jaguarundi ESA, and Crown Jewel refuge context.
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Approved
Confidence: 0.95
Your proposed edit detailing the drone prohibition at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge has been approved. This aligns with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations prohibiting drone operations within the refuge. The added context enhances understanding of the area's drone flight considerations. The outline has been updated to accurately represent the restricted area.
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | Unknown | NoFly |
| Summary | — | USFWS prohibits drones on Santa Ana NWR. Known as the 'Crown Jewel of the National Wildlife Refuge System,' Santa Ana hosts 400+ bird species including rare Mexican specialties at the northern range limit. |
| Mapped shapes | — | ea092e44-a106-430e-8bb3-7ad27b331a10 |
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Santa Ana NWR, Texas **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210. ### Airspace / Site Context - Subtropical thornscrub habitat in the Rio Grande Valley; 490+ bird species on the checklist including clay-colored thrush and hook-billed kite - McAllen Miller International (MFE) Class D is ~15 NM northwest; Edinburg Airport (T23) is ~10 NM west - CBP border surveillance aircraft and drones routinely operate below 500 ft AGL in the Rio Grande corridor adjacent to the refuge ### Key Rules - CBP surveillance drones and FLIR helicopters operate at low altitude along the Rio Grande at all hours; introducing recreational UAS creates deconfliction issues - Ocelot and jaguarundi (both ESA endangered) have been documented on camera trap in the refuge; overflight disturbance applies - USFWS Special Use Permit required; research permits here require USFWS South Texas Refuges Complex manager approval ### Source - USFWS Santa Ana: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/santa-ana
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+ ## Drone Rules - Santa Ana NWR, Texas + + **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210. + + ### Airspace / Site Context + - Subtropical thornscrub habitat in the Rio Grande Valley; 490+ bird species on the checklist including clay-colored thrush and hook-billed kite + - McAllen Miller International (MFE) Class D is ~15 NM northwest; Edinburg Airport (T23) is ~10 NM west + - CBP border surveillance aircraft and drones routinely operate below 500 ft AGL in the Rio Grande corridor adjacent to the refuge + + ### Key Rules + - CBP surveillance drones and FLIR helicopters operate at low altitude along the Rio Grande at all hours; introducing recreational UAS creates deconfliction issues + - Ocelot and jaguarundi (both ESA endangered) have been documented on camera trap in the refuge; overflight disturbance applies + - USFWS Special Use Permit required; research permits here require USFWS South Texas Refuges Complex manager approval + + ### Source + - USFWS Santa Ana: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/santa-ana +