Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge, located 30 miles (48.3 km) northwest of Minot, North Dakota
, was established in 1935 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The refuge straddles 35 miles (56.3 km) of the picturesque Souris River
valley in northern North Dakota
. The Souris River basin figures prominently in the cultural and natural history of the North American mid-continent plains and prairies.
The 32092 acres (129.9 km²) Refuge includes a narrow band of river bottom woodland
s, fertile floodplain
s, native mixed-grass hills, and steep, shrub
-covered coulee
s. The focal point of the Refuge is the 9600 acres (38.8 km²) Lake Darling, a reservoir created by the Lake Darling Dam
, which was constructed in 1936 to provide water to downstream marshes on J. Clark Salyer
and Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuges.
The American Bird Conservancy
has designated the Refuge as a Globally Important Bird Area. Lake Darling is also designated as critical habitat for the endangered piping plover.
Bird watchers come from across the nation to search for small grassland nesting bird species including Baird's, LeConte's, and Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows, as well as the Sprague's pipit
.
Minot, North Dakota
Minot is a city located in north central North Dakota in the United States. It is most widely known for the Air Force base located approximately 15 miles north of the city. With a population of 40,888 at the 2010 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state...
, was established in 1935 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The refuge straddles 35 miles (56.3 km) of the picturesque Souris River
Souris River
The Souris River or Mouse River is a river in central North America. It is about 700 km in length and drains about . It rises in the Yellow Grass Marshes north of Weyburn, Saskatchewan...
valley in northern North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
. The Souris River basin figures prominently in the cultural and natural history of the North American mid-continent plains and prairies.
The 32092 acres (129.9 km²) Refuge includes a narrow band of river bottom woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s, fertile floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
s, native mixed-grass hills, and steep, shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
-covered coulee
Coulee
Coulee is applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley or drainage zone.The word coulee comes from the Canadian French coulée, from French word couler meaning "to flow"....
s. The focal point of the Refuge is the 9600 acres (38.8 km²) Lake Darling, a reservoir created by the Lake Darling Dam
Lake Darling Dam
Lake Darling Dam is an earthen embankment dam on the Souris River located northwest of Minot, Ward County, North Dakota. The dam began impounding water in April 1936 and was completed July of that year. It was created for the purposes of water storage and conservation. It is part of the Upper...
, which was constructed in 1936 to provide water to downstream marshes on J. Clark Salyer
J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge
J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge is located along the Souris River in Bottineau and McHenry Counties in north-central North Dakota. The refuge of extends from the Manitoba border southward for approximately in an area which was once Glacial Lake Souris...
and Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuges.
The American Bird Conservancy
American Bird Conservancy
American Bird Conservancy is a non-profit membership organization with the mission of conserving native birds and their habitats throughout the Americas...
has designated the Refuge as a Globally Important Bird Area. Lake Darling is also designated as critical habitat for the endangered piping plover.
Bird watchers come from across the nation to search for small grassland nesting bird species including Baird's, LeConte's, and Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows, as well as the Sprague's pipit
Sprague's Pipit
Sprague's Pipit is a small passerine bird that breeds in the short and mixed-grass prairies of North America and overwinters in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Easiest to identify by the distinctive descending call that is delivered in the breeding season from a considerable...
.