Wildlife Refuge

History About the River Refuge

     The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge was established by an Act of Congress on June 7, 1924, as a refuge and breeding place for migratory birds, fish, wildlife, and plants. The 261-mile refuge is the longest river refuge in the continental United States. The north end begins at the confluence of the Mississippi and Chippewa rivers near Wabasha, Minnesota and the south end is near Rock Island, Illinois. The river was free-flowing until a series of locks and dams were constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1930s.
     Today, just over 240,000 acres of wooded islands, marshes, and backwaters comprise the Refuge. The refuge provides migratory habitat for a large percentage of the migratory birds in the Mississippi Flyway. Tundra swans and canvasback ducks use the refuge as a resting and feeding area in the spring and fall. It's an anglers paradise, a waterfowl hunters dream, and a birdwatchers bounty.
     Come visit your national wildlife refuge aboard the Mississippi Explorer.

Wildlife/Bird Watching

The Mississippi Explorer's journey brings us into the heart of the Mississippi River Fly Way, home for a numerous variety of birds. You will marvel at nature's beauty as majestic bald eagles soar down from their aerie to the river's surface to grasp a fish in its talons, then returning to the nest to feed the young eaglets. Truly, this is a bird watcher's paradise. As we round the bends, keep a watchful eye out for deer, mink, raccoons, otters, muskrats, and hard working busy beavers.

Your Support is Needed!

"There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot. Like winds and sunset, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them."
- Aldo Leopold

Interested in helping the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge? A great way to lend a helping paw is by purchasing a Federal Duck Stamp! $15 gets you a beautiful and collectible Duck Stamp. The best part is that 98 percent of your $15 goes directly into the Migratory Bird Conversation Fund to purchase wetlands and wildlife habitat!
For more information on how to buy Federal and Junior Duck Stamps please visit www.duckstamp.com or click on the Federal Duck Stamp link below.

Animals

Plants