J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge
Fish and Wildlife Service, North Dakota.
J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge was originally named the Lower Souris Refuge. The name "Souris" is French for "mouse". Before 1800, French explorers found the local Indian tribes calling the stream "the mouse river" because of the great number of mice found in the meadows on the banks of the river. In 1967, the Refuge was re-named after John Clark Salyer II, the former Chief of the Division of Wildlife Refuges for the Bureau of Biological Survey from 1934 to 1961. Salyer has become known as the "Father of the National Wildlife Refuge System". Under his direction, the system rose in acreage from 1.5 million acres in the mid-1930's to nearly 29 million acres upon his retirement.
- There are five main dikes with water control structures on the Refuge, impounding over 23,000 acres of wetlands. Additionally, there are about 36,000 acres of upland which includes wooded river bottoms, native prairie grasslands, floodplain meadows, and seeded native or tame grasses.
- Over 270 bird species have been found on the Refuge and over 160 species nest here. The diversity of habitats and its location in the transition zone between the eastern and western United States makes the Refuge one of the best birdwatching areas in North Dakota, if not the entire country. Birdwatchers from all over the United States and other countries come to take advantage of the opportunities here.
- One of the first attempts to re-establish the Giant Canada geese as nesting birds in North Dakota began here in 1937. Now, these birds are found in every county of the State.
- Two special designations were received in 2001: The Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network designated the Refuge as a regional site, critically important for shorebirds, and the American Bird Conservancy named the Refuge one of the first 100 “Globally Important Bird Areas". These designations serve to point out the importance this Refuge has to migratory birds.
- The North Dakota Natural Heritage Inventory lists the Refuge as one of only two intact ecological landscapes remaining in North Dakota.
- J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge is one of only ten refuges, from a Refuge System of over 565 refuges, that were featured in a Refuge System centennial exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History during 2003-2004.
Nearby Activities
- Auto Touring
- Birding
- Boating
- Educational Programs
- Environmental Education
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Historic & Cultural Site
- Hunting
- Interpretive Programs
- Paddling
- Photography
- Wildlife Viewing
- Winter Sports
Directions
The Refuge headquarters is 2 miles north of Upham, North Dakota, and can be reached by turning off U.S. Highway 2 at Towner and proceeding 26 miles north on State Highway 14.
Additional Information