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All of the 1,732-acre Esquatzel Coulee Wildlife Area is in a natural southwest-tending coulee northeast of Mesa. The coulee is part of the channeled scablands of eastern Washington. The sides of the coulee are steep, grassy hillsides with basalt outcroppings. The bottom of the coulee is a flat flood plain with a constructed channel down the middle. It is now a mixture of non-native perennial grasses, perennial pepperweed, and Russian olive trees. Some ponds and wetlands have developed along the course of the wasteway. The uplands in this unit are mostly a big sage/bluebunch wheatgrass habitat type. Past fires have removed the big sage from some of these uplands. The Burlington Northern Railroad has a busy 400-foot right-of-way through the length of this coulee.
Esquatzel Coulee is just one of several Wildlife Areas in the Columbia Basin which is one of the most important waterfowl breeding grounds in Washington. Millions of other birds also use the waters and marshes for resting and feeding on their annual migrations along the Pacific Flyway. The thousands of small lakes, potholes, and seeps are home to Canada geese, mallards, redheads, canvasbacks, ringnecks, ruddy ducks, gadwalls, blue and greenwing teal, shovelers, pintails, goldeneyes, and wood ducks. Shorebirds abound and Caspian terns, pelicans, sandhill cranes, swans, and many other rare birds are seen. Ring-billed gulls, Brewer's, red-winged, and yellow-headed blackbirds, kildeer, meadowlarks, and horned larks are found. Game birds including pheasant, chukar and Hungarian partridge, and quail are common, though sage and sharp-tailed grouse have severely declined in numbers.
Coyotes are the most abundant predatory mammal. Jackrabbits, marmots, ground squirrels, muskrats, and a wide variety of mice and shrews occur. Mule deer occur in fringe areas where suitable habitat exists. Resident prairie falcons, red-tailed and Swainson's hawks, golden eagles, wintering bald eagles, colonies of burrowing owls, and the occasional snowy owl or gyrfalcon are also present. The vast expanse of water, cattail marshes, potholes, and wetlands offer a wide variety of water-related experiences. The fishing is outstanding, especially for bass, perch, sunfish, and crappie. Rainbow trout are stocked
