Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge

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Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Klamath Marsh and Mount Thielsen.jpg
USA Oregon location map.svg
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Location Klamath County, Oregon, USA
Nearest city Klamath Falls, Oregon
Coordinates 42°54′29″N121°41′04″W / 42.90816°N 121.68457°W / 42.90816; -121.68457 Coordinates: 42°54′29″N121°41′04″W / 42.90816°N 121.68457°W / 42.90816; -121.68457
Area 40,885 acres (16,546 ha) [1]
Established 1958 (1958)
Governing body U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Website Klamath Marsh NWR

Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1958 as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other management purpose, for migratory birds. The refuge primarily consists of 40,000 acres. Originally designated as Klamath Forest National Wildlife Refuge, the Refuge was renamed as virtually all of the historic Klamath Marsh now lies within Refuge boundaries. This large natural marsh provides important nesting, feeding, and resting habitat for waterfowl, while the surrounding meadowlands are attractive nesting and feeding areas for sandhill crane, yellow rail, and various shorebirds and raptors. The adjacent pine forests also support diverse wildlife including the great gray owl and Rocky Mountain elk. During summer months, opportunities to canoe in Wocus Bay allow for wildlife observation and a great scenic route.

Wetland A land area that is permanently or seasonally saturated with water

A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is inundated by water, either permanently or seasonally, where oxygen-free processes prevail. The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from other land forms or water bodies is the characteristic vegetation of aquatic plants, adapted to the unique hydric soil. Wetlands play a number of functions, including water purification, water storage, processing of carbon and other nutrients, stabilization of shorelines, and support of plants and animals. Wetlands are also considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, serving as home to a wide range of plant and animal life. Whether any individual wetland performs these functions, and the degree to which it performs them, depends on characteristics of that wetland and the lands and waters near it. Methods for rapidly assessing these functions, wetland ecological health, and general wetland condition have been developed in many regions and have contributed to wetland conservation partly by raising public awareness of the functions and the ecosystem services some wetlands provide.

Sandhill crane species of bird

The sandhill crane is a species of large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird refers to habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills on the American Plains. This is the most important stopover area for the nominotypical subspecies, the lesser sandhill crane, with up to 450,000 of these birds migrating through annually.

Yellow rail species of bird

The yellow rail is a small secretive marsh bird, of the family Rallidae.

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References

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates  public domain material from websites or documents ofthe United States Fish and Wildlife Service .

United States Fish and Wildlife Service US Federal Government agency

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is an agency of the US Federal Government within the US Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people."