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Oxford Slough, covering 1,878 acres, in Franklin and Bannock counties, was developed to protect redhead duck nesting habitat.
The area is covered by hardstem bulrush marsh interspersed with open water and surrounded by patches of playa, salt grass flats, native wet meadow and some cropland.
The lower areas have visible alkali deposits.
The marsh is fed on the north and drained at the south by Deep Creek. A smaller creek and several springs feed the marsh from the west.
The native pasture is no longer grazed. Most of the meadows are hayed to provide short-grass feeding areas for geese and cranes. Most of the dry cropland has been converted to dense nesting cover.
The irrigated cropland is used for small grains under a cooperative agreement. A portion of the crop is left each year for wintering wildlife.
There is no visitor center or resident staff at this site. There is one access on the north side with a small parking area, however, it may not be obvious due to vegetation.
The access road is difficult to navigate during wet weather or when frost covers the ground.
The entire area is open to foot traffic or small boats. The marsh is shallow and filled with vegetation and is not conducive to motorized or large boats.
Waterfowl hunting and trapping are allowed on the refuge.
There is some good birding for water birds. The hardstem bulrush marshes attract large numbers of nesting waterfowl, especially redheads, Franklin's gulls, Forster's and black terns, white-faced ibis, snowy and cattle egrets, black-crowned night herons and great blue herons.
Surrounding the marsh are playa areas that attract migrating shorebirds in spring and nesting shorebirds, such as black-necked stilts and American avocets, in summer.
Trumpeter swans and whooping cranes have been observed here.
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