Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a 2077 acres (8.4 km²) Easement Refuge
Easement refuge
An easement refuge is a special type of National Wildlife Refuge under the auspices of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.On an easement refuge, the Refuge boundaries encompass private land but the Fish and Wildlife Service does not own the land...
located in Barnes County, North Dakota
Barnes County, North Dakota
-National protected areas:*Hobart Lake National Wildlife Refuge*Stoney Slough National Wildlife Refuge*Tomahawk National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
five miles (8 km) west of Valley City. The refuge is divided in half by Interstate Highway 94
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
running east and west. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service owns 277 acres (1.1 km²) in fee title and the remaining acres are covered by easement
Easement
An easement is a certain right to use the real property of another without possessing it.Easements are helpful for providing pathways across two or more pieces of property or allowing an individual to fish in a privately owned pond...
. Three nesting islands in the northeast corner of the refuge that were constructed by Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of wetlands and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, other wildlife, and people. It currently has approximately 780,000 members, mostly in the United States and Canada.-Introduction:Ducks Unlimited was...
have been submerged since 1993.
The refuge was established by Executive Orders during the Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
administration and was set aside as "a refuge and breeding grounds for migratory birds and other wildlife." The refuge is maintained by the Valley City Wetland Management District
Valley City Wetland Management District
The Valley City Wetland Management District is located in the U.S. state of North Dakota and consists of 76,000 acres . The wetland district is a substation of the Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge Complex, overseen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service...
and is a part of the Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge Complex
The Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge Complex consists of numerous National Wildlife Refuges and Wetland Management Districts in the U.S. state of North Dakota. Altogether, twelve separate areas are in the complex, with the Chase Lake Prairie Project being the largest at...
.
The refuge is a migration stopover for waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
. In addition, tundra swans frequently use the refuge during spring and fall migrations. Much of the refuge lands are cultivated by the owner; however, some waterfowl nesting and brood rearing takes place on portions of the refuge. There are some limited opportunities for wildlife observation and photography from public roads around the refuge.