About Us
Key Points
Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System and was established to protect migratory birds and other wildlife.
The refuge manages diverse habitats and uses Lake Darling to regulate water, support downstream marshes, reduce flooding, maintain fisheries, and sustain wildlife populations like Canada geese.
The refuge promotes conservation through educational programs, partnerships, and a legacy of restoration that began with 1930s Dust Bowl–era efforts, including CCC construction and the Duck Stamp Act.
Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge is one of over 565 refuges and 38 wetland management districts in the National Wildlife Refuge System - a network of lands set aside and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service specifically for wildlife. The Refuge System is a living heritage, conserving wildlife and habitat for people today and generations to come.
Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge lies in the beautiful Souris River Valley of northwestern North Dakota and extends for 35 miles along the Souris River corridor. This Refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is an important unit in a series of national wildlife refuges in the waterfowl migration corridor known as the Central Flyway.
Our Purpose
Each unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System is established to serve a statutory purpose that targets the conservation of native species dependent on its lands and waters. All activities on those acres are reviewed for compatibility with this statutory purpose.
The purpose for establishing the Refuge in 1935 was "...as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife..."
The Refuge habitat is managed for diversity to provide the life requirements of all wildlife. Grasslands are periodically grazed, hayed, burned and rested to provide good nesting and escape cover for wildlife and to rejuvenate the vegetation.
Lake Darling, the largest water impoundment on Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge, is a key component of the Refuge's water management program. Designed to store a two-year supply of water, it helps sustain downstream wetlands, supports communities in the Souris River Valley, and contributes to regional drought and flood management.
The proper management of water permits an active fisheries program on the Refuge. This is a cooperative effort between the Refuge and the Missouri River Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance Office. Northern pike, walleye, yellow perch, and smallmouth bass may be caught in Lake Darling and the Souris River.
Our Mission
The Souris River basin figures prominently in the culture and natural history of midcontinent North America’s plains and prairies. As one of three National Wildlife Refuges of the Souris River basin, The Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge will enhance populations of migratory birds, including waterfowl, and other wildlife native to the landscape by conserving the ecology and the natural character of the northern plains region.
The Refuge will create a sense of awe and wonder by providing an array of wildlife-dependent recreational and educational experiences that enhance visitor awareness of the splendid natural and cultural heritage of the northern great plains.
Functioning as integral parts of the ecosystems and human communities to which they belong, the Refuge staff will seek collaborative partnerships to attain common goals.
A diverse and passionate Refuge workforce will rely on sound science to understand and restore or emulate natural processes essential to the integrity and perpetuation of major biological communities with which the Refuge is entrusted.
Our History
In the 1930s, drought brought the dust bowl to the Great Plains. The drought dried out the land, and the wind covered everything with dust. As the water levels dropped in the region, many wetlands dried out, and duck populations plummeted to all-time lows. Conservationists began to act to reverse this trend.
In 1934, a political cartoonist from Iowa, J.N. “Ding” Darling, became Director of the newly formed Bureau of Biological Survey. That year, Darling helped push the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act through Congress. Commonly referred to as the “Duck Stamp Act,” this Act requires every waterfowl hunter 16 years and older to purchase a Federal duck stamp. Proceeds from duck stamp sales are used to buy and lease waterfowl habitat.
In 1935, J. Clark Salyer, “Ding” Darling’s top aide, used duck stamp money to help purchase three refuges on the Souris River, including Upper Souris Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. The Refuge was established by Executive Order on August 27, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt “... as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife...”
From 1935 to 1941, the Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Project Administration provided large labor forces to build dikes, roads, fences, and water control structures on the Refuge. Camp Maurek, a military-style camp located southeast of Lake Darling Dam, housed as many as 250 men. Members of Camp Heintzelman, located in Mohall, developed wildlife habitat and facilities on the north end of the Refuge.
In 1940, the Refuge began efforts to restore the once‑common Canada goose, which had declined in the area due to habitat loss. The first “honkers” were reintroduced that year, and the resident flock has since rebounded into a healthy, stable population.
