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Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was established on August 18, 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt as the Lake Malheur Bird Reservation. Roosevelt set aside unclaimed lands encompassed by Malheur, Mud and Harney Lakes “as a preserve and breeding ground for native birds.” The newly established “Lake Malheur Bird Reservation” was the 19th of 51 wildlife refuges created by Roosevelt during his tenure as president. At the time, Malheur was the third refuge in Oregon and one of only six refuges west of the Mississippi.

The Refuge is located 30 miles south of Burns, Oregon in the southeast corner of the state. The Refuge is open from dawn until dusk each day. The Visitor Center at Refuge Headquarters is open Monday - Thursday from 8:00 to 4:00 and from 8:00 to 3:00 on Friday. The Refuge Museum, located at Headquarters, is open from dawn until dusk each day.

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Caspian Tern Nesting Island being constructed on

Malheur Lake by the Army Corps of Engineers

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun contruction of a one-acre elliptical rock fill island in the south central portion of Malheur Lake about 2,000 feet from the shoreline. Construction is scheduled to be completed by March 1, well in advance of the arrival migratory birds which use the lake for resting and nesting.

The island is located in deepest and most consistently watered area of the lake and will be used by Caspian terns and other birds as a nesting location at least nine months of the year. The island and related social attraction measures are aimed at attracting migrating terns to the area instead of the Columbia River estuary. This is expected to reduce their consumption of juvenile salmon attempting to migrate to the Pacific Ocean that are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Corps biologists also expect the terns to provide a local benefit by helping to manage the carp population in Malheur Lake. This redistribution is also expected to benefit the terns by reducing the exposure of part of their population to catastrophic events such as predators, storms and disease.

Contractors place rock in a barge on the Blitzen River.

 

A tug boat pushes a rock filled barge to the construction site on Malheur Lake.

 

An excavator sitting on a barge sits on Malheur Lake waiting for another load of rock to be delivered for island construction.

The proposed Malheur Lake project is a collaborative effort between the Corps Portland District, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Region 1 and the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

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Hunter Access at Saddle Butte Road Closure

The Refuge holds a 10 foot wide road access easement across private property to allow waterfowl and upland bird hunter access to the Refuge parking area for the east side of the North Malheur Lake Hunting Area. At this time there is significant flooding south of the railroad grade. Water covers the road for approximately 1.5 miles between the current lake shoreline, which is on private property, and the Refuge boundary.

There is no public hunting on the private property between the waters’ edge and the Refuge boundary. Malheur NWR is closing all access to the road easement for the 2011-12 hunting season for hunter safety and to prevent damage to the road.

Anyone travelling and/or hunting beyond this gate must have land owner permission or they are trespassing.

The North Malheur Lake hunting area IS NOT closed and can be accessed using the Lawen Access. Travel 4 miles west on Highway 78 to the Lawen Road; turn south; travel approximately 3 miles to the Lawen Hunter Access area which is designated by white signs with a blue goose on them. Hunters should park on the side of the road as the Refuge parking area is flooded. See our Recreation page for more information about hunting opportunities on the Refuge.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has purchased hunting access rights to many of the fields surrounding the Lawen Access; look for orange posts designating which fields are open to public hunting.

Questions concerning this road access closure or hunting on the Refuge should be directed to Malheur NWR 541-493-2612.

Questions concerning the ODFW hunting access program should be directed to 541-573-6582.

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Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

36391 Sodhouse Lane

Princeton, Oregon 97721

(541) 493-2612