| Desoto National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
| Location | Harrison andPottawattamie counties,Iowa andWashington County,Nebraska, United States |
| Nearest city | Blair, NE |
| Coordinates | 41°31′25.2″N96°1′4.6″W / 41.523667°N 96.017944°W /41.523667; -96.017944 |
| Area | 8,362 acres (33.83 km2) |
| Established | March 12, 1958 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge |
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, created in 1958, is located along the banks of theMissouri River in theU.S. states ofIowa andNebraska. The 8,362-acre (3,384 ha) refuge (46% in Iowa, 54% in Nebraska) preserves an area that would have been otherwise lost to cultivation. In 1960, anArmy Corps of Engineerschannelization project on the Missouri River moved the main river channel in the area to the west. The former river channel became DeSoto Lake, a seven-mile longoxbow lake. As a result, part of the Nebraska portion of the refuge lies on the east side of the Missouri River.
For over 20 years after construction, the lake was used for recreational boating, with half of the lake designated for watersports and the other half a no-wake zone for wildlife habitat and fishing. The lake was so popular that access was limited by the park's rangers to keep the boat traffic down on the lake on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The lake's marina, snack bar, swimming area and boat ramps were all removed, and restrictions were placed on boat operation.[1]
Today, the refuge is home to around 30mammal species, includingwhite-tailed deer,beavers,opossums,raccoons,fox squirrels,muskrats andcoyotes. Many bird species also inhabit the refuge, such asbald eagles,great blue herons,egrets,pelicans,turkeys andcardinals. The refuge is also a major stopover on theCentral Flywaybird migration route; the population of migratory birds increases substantially in the spring and fall months. The numbers ofsnow geese used to frequently be in the hundreds of thousands, but for unknown reasons has substantially dropped for only a few thousand a year (not at once). The population ofCanada geese that stopped at the lake before it was channelized is once again rising.
Several miles of naturetrails provide access to the varied landscapes of the refuge. Dogs are permitted only under physical restrictive control of a leash at all times.[1]Hunting is allowed in season (for deer, turkey, andpheasant) with a permit and there are several fishing piers along the lake, which are open outside of the bird migration seasons.
The refuge also documents the area's human history. In 1865, the sternwheel steamboatBertrand, bound for theMontana Territory, sank in the Missouri River. The boat and its cargo rested on the river bottom until 1968, when the wreck was rediscovered. Over 500,000 items were excavated from the wreck; many of them were in excellent condition. Catalogue numbers are now in the upper 5000's, each number sometimes only having one related object, or, in the case of nails, tens of thousands. A visitor center in the refuge displays many of these items. TheBertrand site is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.
DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge is located five miles (eight kilometres) east ofBlair, Nebraska. Access to the refuge is onU.S. Route 30 between Blair andInterstate 29.