Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge is in the center of a glacial terminal moraine with a high density of small wetlands and upland grasses. Its own history and management is as complex as the lands and waters that surround it.

Visit Us

Please take advantage of the outstanding opportunities available for wildlife observation, photography, and fishing. Hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing are also permitted on the Refuge, but please be mindful of regulations and closed areas, and comply with all posted signs.

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      Lands within the Refuge boundary were first withdrawn in 1910 for an irrigation reservoir as part of the Flathead Irrigation Project. Executive Order 3503 established the Refuge on this withdrawal in 1921, subject to reservoir uses. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes requested the establishment of Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge and the refuge is located on Trust lands of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

      What We Do

      Service staff conduct surveys of waterfowl with spring pair counts (to get an idea of how many nests there may be) and summer brood counts (to determine number of surviving young per nest). Refuge staff are diligent in the monitoring of noxious weeds, using Integrated Pest Management to control such non-native plants as yellow flag iris, purple loosestrife, whitetop and spotted knapweed.

      Our Species

      Established among the prairie potholes of the Mission Valley to be “….a refuge and breeding grounds for native birds”, Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge provides excellent breeding and staging habitat for abundant waterfowl and other water birds.