Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge

Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
The Lower Dam Recreation Area in summer
Location	Southwestern Idaho and eastern Oregon, United States
Nearest city	Nampa, Idaho
Coordinates	43°33′N 116°40′W / 43.550°N 116.667°W / 43.550; -116.667
Area	10,548 acres (16.481 sq mi; 42.69 km2)
Established	February 25, 1909 (1909-02-25)
Governing body	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Website	Deer Flat NWR

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The Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge is an important breeding area for mammals, birds, and other animals. The National Wildlife Refuge is located on land surrounding Lake Lowell, just outside Nampa, Idaho. It serves as a resting and wintering area for birds, including mallards and Canada geese, along the Pacific Flyway and was named a "Globally Important Bird Area" by the American Bird Conservancy.

The refuge consists of two sections which contains open water, edge wetlands, grasslands and riparian and forest habitats. The largest portion of the refuge consists of Lake Lowell and its environs, located in Canyon County, just west of Nampa, while the second comprises the Snake River islands located in non-contiguous localities along the river in Canyon, Owyhee, Payette, and Washington counties (Idaho) and Malheur and Baker counties (Oregon).

There is a visitor center at the Lake Lowell site, which is the hub of activity for visitors and those volunteers who donate their time and services to wildlife conservation projects.

Wildlife and Habitat

Wildlife has dynamic and unique needs that require a variety of habitats for food, shelter, and raising young. Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge is managed to improve and maintain wildlife habitat. Habitats at Deer Flat include wetlands, riparian forests, uplands, and croplands at the Lake Lowell sector, as well as the 101 Snake River Islands.

History

President Theodore Roosevelt created a national bird refuge at Deer Flat Reservoir, now Lake Lowell, with his February 25, 1909, executive order. The refuge was one of 17 federal reclamation projects referenced in the order, each of which used manmade aquifers to provide safe havens for migratory birds. The effort to include the Canyon County site was spearheaded by James H. Lowell, then-president of the Payette-Boise Water Users Association.

• 1902 Reclamation Act authorizes establishment of U.S. Reclamation Service, now the Bureau of Reclamation, to irrigate western lands. Survey for location of Deer Flat Reservoir conducted.
• 1905 James H. Lowell, begins securing contracts to purchase the lands that would become the Deer Flat Reservoir, now Lake Lowell.
• 1906 Work begins on the upper and lower embankments.
• 1907 Caldwell Interurban Railroad begins public route to Lower Dam
• 1908 Lower Embankment completed in January. Equalization trench in Deer Flat Reservoir excavated with steam shovel No. 1 from Upper Embankment. Earthwork at Upper Embankment completed.
• 1909 Outlet channel at Lower Embankment completed and water turned in to Lake Lowell from New York canal. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 1032 on February 25.
• 1913 Sebree Dance Pavilion completed at Lower Dam Recreation Area.
• 1926 Nampa-Meridian Irrigation District signs agreement with federal government stipulating that Board of Control is now in charge of the project.
• 1928 Sebree Dance Pavilion dismantled and moved to Caldwell.
• 1930 First Lake Lowell Boat Races held at Upper Dam.
• 1935 Civilian Conservation Corps BR-24 Co. 2506 charged with restoring dams eroded by waves and ice.
• 1937 President Franklin D. Roosevelt creates the Snake River Islands Refuge by executive order. Thomas Horn assigned as first refuge manager.
• 1938 Works Progress Administration workers help build refuge infrastructure (roads and buildings).
• 1939 WPA workers complete observation tower.
• 1943 Youth Aid Farm Camp for girls housed in Civilian Conservation Corps barracks at Lower Dam.
• 1948 Deer Flat Reservoir renamed Lake Lowell in honor of J.H. Lowell.
• 1957 Special-use permit issued to Canyon County for sanitary landfill on refuge property.
• 1963 Snake River Islands Refuge consolidated with Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge.
• 1967 Last of CCC barracks removed from Lower Dam Recreation Area.
• 1970 Environmental Education building constructed at the Lower Dam.
• 1971 Landfill closed. Marsing Job Corps starts construction of Visitor Center.
• 1975 Visitor Center completed and First Youth Conservation Corps formed.
• 1976 Bureau of Reclamation nominates embankments to National Register of Historic Places.
• 1979 Special-use permit issued to Clint Eastwood to film part of Bronco Billy at Upper Embankment.
• 2006 Friends of Deer Flat Wildlife Refuge formed.
• 2009 Centennial Trail installed across historic upper dam.

References

1. ^ "Annual Report of Lands as of September 30, 2009" (PDF). United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
2. ^ "Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
3. ^ Dooley, Bryan. "Deer Flat Refuge celebrates 100 years." Idaho Press-Tribune. 31 May 2009. Main 8, 9.

External links

• "Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge Overview". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
• "Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge". Recreation.gov.
• "Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge". Idaho Department of Commerce. Archived from the original on 2009-02-10.

v t e Protected areas of Idaho
Federal	National Parks Yellowstone National Historic Sites & Historical Parks Minidoka NHS Nez Perce NHP National Monuments Craters of the Moon Hagerman Fossil Beds National Forests Bitterroot Boise Caribou-Targhee Clearwater Coeur d'Alene Idaho Panhandle Kaniksu Kootenai Nez Perce Payette Salmon-Challis Sawtooth St. Joe Wallowa–Whitman Wasatch-Cache National Grasslands Curlew National Recreation Areas Hells Canyon Sawtooth National Wildlife Refuges Bear Lake Camas Deer Flat Grays Lake Kootenai Minidoka Oxford Slough Waterfowl Production Area National Conservation Areas Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey Wilderness Areas Big Jacks Creek Bruneau–Jarbidge Rivers Craters of the Moon Frank Church–River of No Return Gospel Hump Hells Canyon Hemingway–Boulders Jim McClure–Jerry Peak Little Jacks Creek North Fork Owyhee Owyhee River Pole Creek Sawtooth Selway–Bitterroot Cecil D. Andrus–White Clouds National Wild and Scenic Rivers Battle Creek Big Jacks Creek Bruneau Bruneau (West Fork) Clearwater (Middle Fork) Cottonwood Creek Deep Creek Dickshooter Creek Duncan Creek Jarbidge Little Jacks Creek Lochsa Owyhee Owyhee (North Fork) Owyhee (South Fork) Rapid Red Canyon Saint Joe Salmon Salmon (Middle Fork) Selway Sheep Creek Snake Wickahoney Creek
State	State Parks Bear Lake Bruneau Dunes Castle Rocks City of Rocks Coeur d'Alene Parkway Dworshak Eagle Island Farragut Harriman Hells Gate Henrys Lake Heyburn Lake Cascade Lake Walcott Land of the Yankee Fork Lucky Peak Massacre Rocks McCroskey Old Mission Ponderosa Priest Lake Round Lake Thousand Springs Three Island Crossing Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes Winchester Lake Wildlife Management Areas Big Cottonwood Billingsley Creek Blackfoot River Boise River Boundary Creek Camas Prairie Centennial Marsh Carey Lake Cartier Slough Cecil D. Andrus C.J. Strike Coeur d'Alene River Craig Mountain Deer Parks Farragut Fort Boise Georgetown Summit Hagerman Market Lake McArthur Lake Montour Montpelier Mud Lake Niagara Springs Payette River Pend Oreille Portneuf Red River St. Maries Sand Creek Snow Peak Sterling Tex Creek
Other	Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve
Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation

v t e Protected areas of Oregon
Heritage registers National Register of Historic Places National Historic Landmarks National Natural Landmarks World Network of Biosphere Reserves
Federal	NPS National Parks Crater Lake National Historic Parks and Sites Fort Vancouver NHS Lewis and Clark NHP Nez Perce NHP National monuments John Day Fossil Beds Newberry National Volcanic Monument (USFS) Oregon Caves USFS National Forests Deschutes Fremont–Winema Malheur Mount Hood Ochoco Rogue River–Siskiyou Siuslaw Umatilla Umpqua Wallowa–Whitman Willamette National Grasslands Crooked River National recreation areas Hells Canyon Mount Hood Oregon Dunes Scenic areas Cape Perpetua Columbia River Gorge National Wildlife Refuge System Ankeny Bandon Marsh Baskett Slough Bear Valley Cape Meares Cold Springs Deer Flat Hart Mountain Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer Klamath Marsh Lewis and Clark Lower Klamath Malheur McKay Creek Nestucca Bay Oregon Islands Siletz Bay Three Arch Rocks Tualatin River Umatilla Upper Klamath Wapato Lake William L. Finley Wilderness areas Badger Creek Black Canyon Boulder Creek Bridge Creek Bull of the Woods Clackamas Copper Salmon Cummins Creek Devil's Staircase Diamond Peak Drift Creek Eagle Cap Gearhart Mountain Grassy Knob Hells Canyon Kalmiopsis Lower White River Mark O. Hatfield Menagerie Middle Santiam Mill Creek Monument Rock Mount Hood Mount Jefferson Mount Thielsen Mount Washington Mountain Lakes North Fork John Day North Fork Umatilla Opal Creek Oregon Badlands Red Buttes Roaring River Rock Creek Rogue–Umpqua Divide Salmon–Huckleberry Sky Lakes Soda Mountain Spring Basin Steens Mountain Strawberry Mountain Table Rock Three Sisters Waldo Lake Wenaha–Tucannon Wild Rogue National Conservation Lands Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area National Wild and Scenic Rivers List of Oregon's National Wild and Scenic Rivers Other protected areas Cascade Head Preserve Christmas Valley Sand Dunes Fossil Lake Area of Critical Environmental Concern Lost Forest Research Natural Area Sandy River Delta South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Upper and Lower Table Rock Wildwood Recreation Site
State	Parks North Coast Arcadia Beach Bob Straub Bradley Cape Kiwanda Cape Lookout Cape Meares Clay Myers at Whalen Island Del Rey Beach Ecola Elmer Feldenheimer Fishing Rock Fort Stevens Gearhart Ocean Haystack Hill Hug Point John Yeon Manhattan Beach Munson Creek Falls Neahkahnie–Manzanita Nehalem Bay Oceanside Beach Oswald West Rockaway Beach Sunset Beach Sunset Highway Forest Sitka Sedge Symons Tolovana Beach Twin Rocks Wilson River Highway Forest Central Coast Agate Beach Alsea Bay Beachside Beaver Creek Beverly Beach Boiler Bay Carl G. Washburne Collins Creek D River Darlingtonia Devils Lake Devils Punch Bowl Driftwood Beach Ellmaker Fogarty Creek Gleneden Beach Governor Patterson H.B. Van Duzer Heceta Head Lighthouse Jessie M. Honeyman Joaquin Miller Forest L. Presley & Vera C. Gill Lost Creek Muriel O. Ponsler Neptune Neskowin Beach Ona Beach Otter Crest Pritchard Roads End Rocky Creek San Marine Seal Rock Smelt Sands South Beach Stonefield Beach Tokatee Klootchman W. B. Nelson Whale Watching Yachats Yachats Ocean Road Yaquina Bay South Coast Albert H. Powers Alfred A. Loeb Arizona Beach Bandon Bolon Island Tideways Bullards Beach Cape Arago Cape Blanco Cape Sebastian Conde B. McCullough Coquille Myrtle Grove Crissey Field Elk Creek Tunnel Forest Face Rock Floras Lake Geisel Monument Golden and Silver Falls Harris Beach Hoffman Humbug Mountain Hutchinson Lone Ranch Maria C. Jackson McVay Rock Ophir Otter Point Paradise Point Pistol River Port Orford Cedar Forest Port Orford Heads Samuel H. Boardman Seven Devils Shore Acres Sisters Rock Sunset Bay Sweet Myrtle Umpqua Umpqua Lighthouse Umpqua Myrtle William M. Tugman Winchuck Yoakam Point Portland Metro Banks–Vernonia Bonnie Lure Government Island L. L. "Stub" Stewart Mary S. Young Milo McIver Tryon Creek Willamette Stone Columbia River Gorge/ Mount Hood Ainsworth Benson Bonneville Bridal Veil Falls Crown Point Dabney Dalton Point George W. Joseph Guy W. Talbot Historic Columbia River Highway John B. Yeon Koberg Beach Lang Forest Lewis and Clark Lindsey Creek Mayer McLoughlin Memaloose Multnomah Falls Portland Women's Forum Rocky Butte Rooster Rock Seneca Fouts Shepperd's Dell Sheridan Starvation Creek Viento Vinzenz Lausmann Wyeth Wygant Willamette Valley Alderwood Bald Peak Blachly Mountain Forest Bowers Rock Cascadia Champoeg Detroit Lake Dexter Elijah Bristow Erratic Rock Fall Creek Fort Yamhill Holman Jasper Lowell Luckiamute Maples Maud Williamson Molalla River North Santiam Sarah Helmick Silver Falls State Capitol Thompson's Mills Washburne Willamette Mission Willamette Greenway Southern Oregon Ben Hur Lampman Canyon Creek Forest Casey Collier Memorial Illinois River Forks Jackson F. Kimball Joseph H. Stewart Klamath Falls – Lakeview Forest OC&E Woods Line Prospect Rough and Ready Forest Stage Coach Forest TouVelle Tub Springs Valley of the Rogue Wolf Creek Inn Central Oregon Cline Falls Cottonwood Canyon Deschutes River Dyer Elliott Corbett La Pine Ochoco Peter Skene Ogden Pilot Butte Prineville Reservoir Redmond–Bend Juniper Sisters Smith Rock The Cove Palisades Tumalo White River Falls Eastern Oregon Bates Battle Mountain Forest Blue Mountain Forest Booth Catherine Creek Chandler Clyde Holliday Crooked Creek Deadman's Pass Emigrant Springs Farewell Bend Fort Rock Fort Rock Cave Frenchglen Hotel Goose Lake Hat Rock Hilgard Junction Kam Wah Chung Lake Owyhee Minam Ontario Pete French Round Barn Red Bridge Succor Creek Sumpter Valley Dredge Ukiah–Dale Forest Unity Forest Unity Lake Wallowa Lake Wallowa Lake Highway Forest Wallowa River Forests Clatsop Elliott Gilchrist Santiam Sun Pass Tillamook Wildlife areas Bridge Creek Dean Creek Denman E. E. Wilson Elkhorn Fern Ridge Irrigon Jewell Meadows Klamath Ladd Marsh Lower Deschutes Phillip W. Schneider Prineville Riverside Sauvie Island Snake River Islands Summer Lake Wenaha White River Willow Creek
Local	Metro Blue Lake Cooper Mountain Glendoveer Graham Oaks Howell Oregon Zoo Oxbow Smith and Bybee Mount Talbert Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District Tualatin Hills Nature Park
Category Oregon Parks and Recreation Department Portland Commons

v t e National Wildlife Refuges of the United States

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International	VIAF WorldCat
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