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.
Management
The Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located in northeastern South Dakota, and covers 21,498 acres (8,700 ha) of wildlife habitat. It is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, which covers over 550 such refuges in the US. The system is managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, part of the Department of the Interior. The Sand Lake Wetland Management District, which focuses on the conservation of wetland and grassland habitat on private property, is run through the wildlife refuge.[1]
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. The wetlands are a popular tourist attraction, with thousands of visitors each year.[2]
Flora and fauna
Large concentrations of over 260 bird species, 40 mammals and a variety of other species live in the refuge. WildBird Magazine called Sand Lake one of North America's top 15 sites for bird watching.[1] Mallard ducks, wood ducks and Canada geese are frequently seen,[2] as are Western grebes, white pelicans and snow geese. The largest nesting colony of Franklin's gulls in the world is also found in Sand Lake.[3]
References
- ^ a b "Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge". US Fish and Wildlife Service. September 20, 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
- ^ a b "The Annotated Ramsar List: United States of America". The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. January 30, 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
- ^ "Birding at Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge". US Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved 2013-12-04.
External links
Media related to Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge at Wikimedia Commons
- "Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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