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DeSoto
National Wildlife Refuge
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 Refuge Overview: Located along the Iowa/Nebraska border, DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1959 to preserve habitat for migratory waterfowl. The nearly 8,000 acre refuge has been purchased primarily with Migratory Bird Conservation Funds, which include Federal Duck Stamp dollars.
John and Karen Hollingsworth/USFWS |
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| Wildlife and
Habitat: DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge lies
in the Missouri River floodplain in an old meander of the river.
The refuge encompasses a wide variety of habitat types, including
bottomland cottonwood stands, grasslands, and croplands. An important
stopover and foraging site on the Mississippi Flyway, DeSoto
is managed primarily for migratory waterfowl. Thousands of ducks
and geese take advantage of the refuge to rest and feed each
year. The refuge is especially important for lesser snow geese,
attracting anywhere between 300,000 and 800,000 of the birds
each year. |
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Recreation Opportunities: DeSoto
National Wildlife Refuge offers a number of recreation opportunities.
Environmental education events are held regularly, and nature trails
and interpretive sites located throughout the refuge make the area
an enticing destination for school groups, hikers, birders, and photographers.
Fishing and hunting (snow goose, pheasant, and deer) are also allowed
on the refuge during the appropriate seasons. Additionally, visitors
to DeSoto can see the excavated Steamboat Bertrand, which sank in
the area in 1865 during the Civil War, as well as other Civil War
artifacts.
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Additional Resources
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