Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
Straddling the headwaters of the Minnesota River
in extreme west-central Minnesota
, Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge is within the heart of the tallgrass prairie
's historic range. Today, less than one-percent of tallgrass prairie remains.
Big Stone Refuge serves as the "keeper of the prairie" by working to maintain and restore native prairie habitat while providing optimum nesting cover for waterfowl
and other grassland nesting birds. The refuge contains 11521 acres (46.6 km²): 1,028 acres in Big Stone County
and 10493 acres (42.5 km²) in Lac Qui Parle County
. The refuge is located in Minnesota's 7th congressional district
.
The primary refuge purposes stated in authorizing documents are flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife conservation
. The refuge's principal objective is to provide optimum nesting cover for ground-nesting waterfowl production. Approximately 30,000 people visit the refuge annually.
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....
in extreme west-central Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge is within the heart of the tallgrass prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
's historic range. Today, less than one-percent of tallgrass prairie remains.
Big Stone Refuge serves as the "keeper of the prairie" by working to maintain and restore native prairie habitat while providing optimum nesting cover for waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
and other grassland nesting birds. The refuge contains 11521 acres (46.6 km²): 1,028 acres in Big Stone County
Big Stone County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,820 people, 2,377 households, and 1,611 families residing in the county. The population density was 12 people per square mile . There were 3,171 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile...
and 10493 acres (42.5 km²) in Lac Qui Parle County
Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 8,067 people, 3,316 households, and 2,225 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 3,774 housing units at an average density of 5 per square mile...
. The refuge is located in Minnesota's 7th congressional district
Minnesota's 7th congressional district
Minnesota's 7th congressional district covers almost all of the western side of Minnesota except for the far south, which is located in the 1st district. It is by far the state's largest district, and has a very rural character. Cities in the district include Moorhead, Fergus Falls, Alexandria and...
.
The primary refuge purposes stated in authorizing documents are flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife conservation
Wildlife management
Wildlife management attempts to balance the needs of wildlife with the needs of people using the best available science. Wildlife management can include game keeping, wildlife conservation and pest control...
. The refuge's principal objective is to provide optimum nesting cover for ground-nesting waterfowl production. Approximately 30,000 people visit the refuge annually.