Refuge Maintenance Fund

The water is rising. Help to maintain water levels and critical habitat at your National Wildlife Refuge.
As you know, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge is managed for bird, fish, and wildlife habitat. The refuge relies on a series of pumps and water control structures to maintain water levels and habitat -- and the staff are working hard! We have had so much rain that the refuge is having a hard time keeping up with the management of water...

In the spring, biologists draw the water down in wetlands to promote plant growth. In the fall, these wetlands are flooded to allow a place for ducks to land and feast on seeds from the plants during fall migration. These pumps were installed in the 1970s-1990s, and are both aging and stressed by the historic high lake levels. Due to the lack of funding, water control structures have not been replaced and are part of the long list of deferred maintenance projects.

Will you help to bridge the gap?