Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge


	Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge
	64 Maple Street Burbank, WA 99323 E-mail: mcriver@fws.gov Phone Number: (509) 546-8300
	Visit the Refuge's Web Site: http://www.fws.gov/umatilla/

Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge
Established in 1969 as mitigation for habitat lost through flooding caused by the construction of the John Day Dam on the Columbia River, Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge is a mecca for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts.

The refuge is a varied mix of open water, sloughs, shallow marsh, seasonal wetlands, cropland, islands, and shrub-steppe upland habitats. It is divided into six units—two in Oregon, three in Washington, and one in the middle of the Columbia River. The scarcity of wetlands and other natural habitats in this area make Umatilla Refuge vital to migrating waterfowl, bald eagles, colonial nesting birds, and other migratory and resident wildlife. It is strategically located within the Pacific Flyway to provide Arctic nesting geese and ducks a wintering site and a resting stopover.

Getting There . . .
To reach the Boardman Unit, take the Tower Road exit off Interstate 84 about 3 miles west of Boardman, Oregon.

The McCormack Unit is 3 miles south of Highway 730, off Patterson Ferry Road, near Irrigon, Oregon. The Patterson, Ridge, and Whitcomb Island units are off Highway 14 in Washington.

The Columbia River portion of the refuge is accessible by boat. Boat ramps are located in Irrigon and Umatilla, Oregon; in Plymouth, Washington; and on the Patterson Unit in Washington.

Most areas of the refuge are very remote with no restroom or drinking water facilities. There is no public drinking water available. Refuge visitors should plan their trips accordingly.

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These driving directions are provided as a general guide only. No representation is made or warranty given as to their content, road conditions or route usability or expeditiousness. User assumes all risk of use.

Umatilla Refuge is intensively managed to provide habitat for migratory birds and resident wildlife. Management practices include the restoration of wetlands, manipulation of seasonal wetlands to encourage native food supplies, farming, prescribed burning, planting native willows and cottonwoods in riparian areas, improving uplands by removing invasive weeds, and planting native grasses.

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Umatilla Refuge is intensively managed to provide habitat for migratory birds and resident wildlife. Management practices include restoration of wetlands, manipulation of seasonal wetlands to encourage native food supplies, farming, prescribed burning, planting native willows and cottonwoods in riparian areas, improving uplands through the removal of exotic weed species, and planting native grasses.

Approximately 1,4000 acres of refuge lands are irrigated croplands which provide food and cover for wildlife. Local farmers grow corn, wheat, alfalfa, and other crops under a cooperative agreement whereby the refuge's share of the crop is left in the field for wildlife.

Wetlands without a drawdown capability are routinely treated with Rotenone to control rough fish such as carp. Large monotypic stands of cattails are controlled by a combination of prescribed burning and mechanical disturbance.

Riparian and shrub-steppe habitats that are degraded by exotic species are treated singularly or in combination with prescribed fire, mechanical disturbance, chemical and biocontrols prior to seeding and planting of native species.