Throughout North America many habitats depend on fire for survival, including tallgrass prairies. Fire kept the tallgrass prairie healthy because it removed dead vegetation and returned nutrients to the soil, nurturing native grasses and wildflowers. Fire also kept shrubs and trees from invading the open grasslands. Quite simply, it kept the prairie a prairie. It is estimated that, before European settlement, the prairie burned every four or five years.

Refuge staff mimic the historic cycle of fire by burning areas every 4-5 years. Fires are carefully planned based on the type of habitat, wind and weather conditions, and safety. Only when certain parameters – or a “prescription” – are met will fire staff begin a prescribed burn. 

Learn More

The plants and animals that rely on Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge adapted together over thousands of years. New plants may out-compete native plants that provide food and shelter for wildlife, such as smooth brome and Kentucky blue grass. Other invasive plants are trees like siberian elm and box elder that encroach on native grasslands. Others are forbs and shrubs such as Canada thistle and leafy spurge that. Refuge staff uses several methods to stay ahead of this invasion, including mowing, haying, and herbicide treatment.

Refuge staff adjust water levels at different times of year to provide the best habitat conditions for waterfowl, shorebirds, and other water birds. During some seasons, water may be removed from an area to allow wetlands plants to germinate and grow during the summer. That same area may be shallowly flooded in fall to provide feeding habitat for dabbling ducks. Other areas may create mudflats in spring and fall so migrating shorebirds can probe for insects.

The refuge has several water impoundments which enable us to manage more than 2,000 acres of marsh and open water habitat . However, water levels are ultimately controlled by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers as flood control mandates dictate. Several smaller sub-impoundments allow us to manage 300 acres independently from any flood control needs.

Annually, refuge staff completes a number of biological surveys that include waterfowl breeding pair counts (on/off refuge), breeding bird survey, grassland bird point counts, colonial bird surveys, vegetation monitoring, frog surveys, and sensitive plant species surveys. 

Land acquisition to achieve the current goal of approximately 14,300 acres is on-going on a willing-seller basis.