Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
| Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
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| Location | Brown County, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Nearest city | Aberdeen, S.D. |
| Area | 21,498 acres (87 km2) |
| Established | 1935 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Designated | August 3, 1998 |
Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of South Dakota and is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Wetlands
Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge is one of the refuges listed in the list of wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, which was signed in 1971 and entered into force in the US in 1987. It is one of 35 such sites in the US, which cover a total of 4,515,100 acres (1,827,196 ha). Sand Lake was designated on March 8, 1998 and covers 21,000 acres (8,700 ha). As a "large freshwater cattail marsh", it was selected as a refuge due to being a "critical nesting and staging habitat" for numerous species of birds, including tens of thousands of migrating waterfowl. Mallard ducks, wood ducks and Canada geese are frequently seen. Various other species, including mammals, fish, amphibians and reptiles, also live in the marsh. The wetlands are a popular tourist attraction, with thousands of visitors each year.[1]
Birds
Protected in 1935, the refuge has recorded over 266 bird species and another 40 species of mammals. It is considered one of the finest migratory and non-migratory bird watching areas in the U.S. As recently as 1994, an estimated 150,000 nesting pairs of Franklin's gulls were recorded on the refuge, making this the largest known congregation of this species anywhere.
See also
References
- ^ "The Annotated Ramsar List: United States of America". The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. January 30, 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
- "Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 2006-08-16.
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External links
Media related to Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge at Wikimedia Commons