The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge hosted a record number of bald eagle nests with 167 active bald eagle nests counted in 2005, an increase of 31 from last year. It is estimated that 279 eaglets were produced from the nests. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists, state natural resource managers and volunteers annually gather data on bald eagle populations via ground searches and aerial surveys to track the species’ health.
The number of active nests on the refuge --which stretches 261 miles along the Mississippi River from Wabasha, Minn., to Rock Island, Ill., -- has doubled over the past five years, going from 81 active nests in 2001 to the current 167 active nests. According to Refuge Manager Don Hultman, “Bald eagle numbers are one measure of habitat health and the value of the refuge. The increasing number of active nests and number of eagles that use the refuge during migration and wintering is a good reflection of how water quality has improved since the 1970s. The eagles also tell us how important this refuge is in safeguarding habitat for nesting and feeding.”
The bald eagle was threatened with extinction in the 1960s due to pesticide use and habitat loss. DDT pesticide use on crops caused the thinning of egg shells, which often caused them to break before the incubation period was complete. In 1972, there was only one known eagle nest on the Upper Mississippi River Refuge. The banning of DDT in that same year, along with public awareness and management of public lands to prevent disturbance, launched an amazing comeback by the eagle. Because of the rebounding populations of eagles, their status was changed from endangered to threatened in 1995. Today, more than 6,000 breeding pairs of bald eagles exist nationwide.
The Upper Mississippi River Refuge is believed to host more eagles and nests than any other refuge in the United States, excluding refuges in Alaska. In winter, bald eagles fish below the river’s locks and dams, where the main channel remains open. The refuge’s Lost Mound Unit, formerly part of the Savanna Army Depot near Savanna, Ill., frequently hosts 800 eagles during the winter and the stretch of refuge from Genoa to Prairie du Chien, Wis., has 90 active bald eagle nests. Because of the impressive numbers of eagles along the river, many communities adjacent to the refuge host year-round eagle watching events commemorating the amazing beauty of our national symbol.
With more than 3 million visitors per year, the “Upper Miss” is the most visited refuge in the country and has the added complexity of a major navigation system, including 11 locks and dams within its boundary. It is also a world-class fish and wildlife area which harbors 306 species of birds; 119 species of fish; more than 130 active bald eagle nests; thousands of heron and egret nests; spectacular concentrations of canvasback ducks, tundra swans, and white pelicans; and several threatened or endangered species.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 63 Fish and Wildlife Management offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
