 |
 |
|
|
|
Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge |
 |
||
| 100 Wildlife Refuge Road Box 5 Glenwood, WA 98619 E-mail: mcriver@fws.gov Phone Number: (509) 546-8300 |
|||
| Visit the Refuge's Web Site: http://www.fws.gov/conboylake/ |
|||
 |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge |
|
||
| 100 Wildlife Refuge Road Box 5 Glenwood, WA 98619 E-mail: mcriver@fws.gov Phone Number: (509) 546-8300 |
|||
| Visit the Refuge's Web Site: http://www.fws.gov/conboylake/ |
|||
|
|||
|
||||||
Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge, one of the hidden jewels of the Refuge System, is located on the east slope of the Cascade Mountains at the base of 12,307-foot Mount Adams in southern Washington. It currently encompasses over 6,500 acres of the historic Conboy/Camas lakebeds, a shallow marshy wetland area drained by early settlers. Conifer forests, grasslands, shallow wetlands, and deep water provide homes for deer, elk, beaver, coyote, otter, small rodents, and 150 species of birds, as well as numerous amphibians, reptiles, and fish. Bald eagle, greater sandhill crane, and the Oregon spotted frog are species of concern. Refuge visitors enjoy the scenery, hike the Willard Springs trail, and observe wildlife from the county roads that surround and cross the refuge. Getting There . . . The Conboy Lake Refuge headquarters is located 5 miles southwest of Glenwood, Washington, off the Glenwood-Trout Lake Highway. Get Google map and directions to this refuge/WMD from a specified address: |
Environmental Education Fishing Hunting Photography Wildlife Observation Learn More >> 
Conboy Refuge actively manages the land and its resources to improve habitat for wildlife. One resource that is carefully managed is water. Balancing human and agricultural use with wildlife requires cooperation between the refuge and its neighbors. Refuge water management mimics the natural cycle of flooding and drying that existed prior to attempts to drain Conboy Lake. The main goal is to hold enough winter water for late summer wildlife needs. The location, depth, and timing of water distribution is important. Migrating mallards, pintail, teal, and swans need shallow water for rest, food, and safety. Receding water creates mud margins used by killdeer, spotted sandpipers, and other shorebirds. Wading birds, like great blue herons, work the shallow waters for young fish and invertebrates. Irrigated meadows stimulate new plant growth, or browse, for migrating Canada geese. A combination of haying and flooding provides foraging for cranes, especially colts. Flooding previously hayed fields also looks promising for enhancing spotted frog breeding habitat. Prescribed burning improves soil conditions and checks the spread of pines into the meadowlands. Planting native plants supports animals by making the plant community more diverse. Sometimes sensitive habitats are closed to minimize disturbance or promote natural recovery. Settlers began arriving in the area during the 1870s. The Whitcomb-Cole hewn log house near refuge headquarters is an example of the homes they built, and is one of the few pioneer log homes still standing in Klickitat County. Built in 1891, this house originally stood 2 miles across the lake from its present location. The house was abandoned in the late 1950s and fell into disrepair. In 1987, it was put on a truck and moved to its current location where it could be protected, restored, and enjoyed by visitors. Today the house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. |
|||||