Wildlife & Habitat
Steigerwald
Lake NWR was created in 1987, and contains over 1,000 acres of historic
lakebed, river bottomland habitat, and oak woodlands. This refuge
supports anadromous fish migration, breeding neotropical birds,
and migrating and wintering ducks, geese, and other birds. Winter
concentrations of geese may peak at several thousand birds. Wintering
geese at Steigerwald Lake Refuge are predominately cackling geese
(formerly cackling Canada geese). The Refuge generally winters dabbling
ducks, however, rafts of divers escape to the Refuge when the Gorge
winds create choppy river conditions. Herons forage in the area
year-round and frequent the Refuge from a nearby nesting colony.
The open view of the Refuge offer great viewing for raptors. Summer
visitors to the Columbia River Dike Trail are able to enjoy raucous
aerial displays of nesting purple martins.
