About Us
Located in north-central Iowa in the southeast corner of the Prairie Pothole Region, Union Slough is all that remains of a pre-glacial riverbed. Actually, the area is a connection point, or union, between two watersheds - the Blue Earth River of Minnesota and the east fork of the Des Moines River. Before European settlement, the area was so level that the wind determined which way the slough flowed. Established in 1938 as a migratory waterfowl refuge, Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge provides critical habitat for native prairie and wetland wildlife in a landscape dominated by intensive agriculture. The refuge contains a diverse mix of habitats including marsh, prairie and river bottomland. Together, these areas total 3,334 acres that follow a seven mile stretch of Union Slough and a portion of bottomland along Buffalo Creek. The habitats of the refuge function as a regionally significant nesting and stopover site for migratory waterfowl and other migratory birds and support unique assemblages of resident plants and wildlife.
Our Mission
The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and, where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
The purpose of Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge is to serve as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife.
Every national wildlife refuge was created for a special purpose. Some were created to protect migratory birds, others to protect threatened or endangered species or unique habitats, while others fulfill another special purpose. All activities allowed on refuges must be evaluated to make sure each activity will not conflict with the reason the refuge was founded.
Our History
September 19, 1938 - Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge was established by Franklin D. Roosevelt, as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife.
1996 - Trumpeter swans were reintroduced to the refuge.
2012 - The first bald eagle nest is documented on the refuge.
2015 - River otters return to the refuge for the first time in at least 80 years.
2019 - Sandhill cranes return to nest at the refuge for the first time in more than 100 years.