What We Do
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Water is key to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service mission of conserving and protecting wildlife for the benefit of the American people. Managing resilient wildlife habitats for the National Wildlife Refuge System depends, in large part, on managing water supplies.
Water management is necessarily a collaborative activity. Because many refuge waters such as rivers, streams and lakes cross jurisdictional boundaries, overseeing them ties the Service to Tribes and communities, who also rely on these vital waterways. Effective management of America’s water resources also requires close coordination with state water authorities.
Climate change and environmental degradation have complicated the job of managing America’s water resources. Freshwater supplies are shrinking, and new contaminants are emerging. Sea-level rise and intensifying flood, drought and wildfire frequency have added to the challenges, increasing competition for clean water.
The overlapping challenges threaten the livelihood of working farms and ranches; disproportionately hurt rural, low-income, and minority communities; and severely hamper the Service’s ability to ensure adequate water quality and quantity to meet refuge needs.
Water resources team members show ingenuity and resourcefulness in facing these challenges.