Big Stone
Chippewa
Lac Qui Parle
Pope
Stevens
Swift
Traverse
Yellow MedicinePhone: 320-589-1001
Fax: 320-589-2624
Address:
43875 230th Street
Morris, MN 56267Contacting the Office:
District Manager: Steve Delehanty
e-mail: steve_delehanty@fws.gov43875 230th Street
Morris, MN 56267
Phone: 320-589-1001
Fax: 320-589-2624
TTY: 1-800-877-8339 (Federal Relay)The Wetland office is located 3.3 miles east of
Morris, MN.
District Facts
Established: 1964
Waterfowl Production Areas: 246 units totaling 51,332 acres
Wetland Easements: 646 totaling 21,117 acres
Habitat Easements (wetland and upland): 52 totaling 3,965 acres
FmHA easements: 4 totaling 243 acres
District also manages four tracts totaling 243 acres of the Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR
Counties in district: Big Stone, Lac Qui Parle, Pope, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, Yellow Medicine and Chippewa
Financial Impact
47,000 visitors annually
FY 2006 Budget: $1.4 million
Staff: 14
Natural History
Landscape dotted with thousands of small wetlands or “prairie potholes,” created by glaciers
Prior to settlement, this area was a paradise for waterfowl, prairie chickens, whooping cranes, bison, wolves and other prairie wildlife
Agriculture changes to the landscape included the loss of most native prairie and the drainage of over 50 percent of the small wetlands
The area remains a critical waterfowl production and migration area - the highest nesting density in Minnesota was recorded here (3.5 nests per acre)
District Objectives
Acquire, develop and manage habitat for waterfowl production
Provide habitat for native plants and animals, especially prairie songbirds
Assist private landowners with restoration of wetlands and grasslands
Provide wildlife-dependent recreation and education
Highlight
In 2002, the Morris WMD, Ducks Unlimited, area landowners, Big Stone County, Ortonville Elementary and the Upper Minnesota Watershed District partnered to restore a 400-acre wetland on the Centennial WPA. The basin flooded this year, hosting thousands of migratory birds.
Priorities
Promote greater Service identity though increased environmental education and interpretation programs
Continue to foster growth of the Morris Friends group
Continue involvement with the DNR, The Nature Conservancy, Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society and Pheasants Forever in an effort to reestablish a greater prairie chicken population in southwestern Minnesota
Public Use Opportunities
Hunting
Wildlife observation
Interpretation
Environmental education
Last updated:
March 27, 2009
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