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The Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1936 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, is an important resting and feeding area for waterfowl and other birds.
The diverse habitats support a variety of wildlife species, including the bald eagle, osprey, black terns, and Blanding's turtle, all of which nest here.
Flocks of white pelicans numbering in the hundreds may be seen feeding on refuge wetlands from spring through fall. Other water birds including great egrets, great blue herons, and black terns are common in summer.
This 6,226-acre refuge lies within the Mississippi flyway, along the Mississippi River in western Wisconsin. It is an isolated backwater, cut off from the Mississippi and Trempealeau rivers by dikes, providing needed resting and feeding areas for waterfowl and other birds.
The refuge is situated in a unique geological formation known as the driftless area. Thousands of years ago, glaciers surrounded but did not pass over the land. Blown into mounds, sand and silt from melting glaciers formed the rolling sand prairies of the refuge.
Wetlands are a prominent feature. Before the railroads arrived and the locks and dams were built, the lands within the refuge were part of the Mississippi River and historically experienced floods and droughts.
Today, using dikes and control structures, managers can mimic this natural cycle by lowering the water to expose mudflats and allow plants to germinate. Migratory waterfowl and marsh birds benefit.
To reach the refuge from the Winona, Minn., area, take Route 43 across the Mississippi River into Wisconsin. Turn right onto Route 54 east. Travel 5.7 miles, and take a right onto West Prairie Road. The refuge entrance is on the right after about one mile.
From the LaCrosse, Wis., area, take Route 53 north to Route 54 west. Follow 54 west to Centerville and continue 3.1 to West Prairie Road. Turn left onto West Prairie Road and go for about one mile to the refuge entrance.
Outdoor Activities |
A caterpillar dines on the refuges vegetation.
Beavers reside in this Wisconsin wildlife refuge.
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