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Surrounded by arid desert lands, it's little wonder the Bear River marshes have been an historical waterfowl oasis. Explorer John C. Fremont witnessed such a concentration of flocks that he wrote in 1843, "The waterfowl made a noise like thunder... as the whole scene was animated with waterfowl." | |
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Come to the wilds of our bird refuge: 72,000 acres filled with a wide
variety of birds, including the rare tundra swan, the white-faced ibis,
and the Western grebe. The Refuge can be reached from I-15 by taking the Forest street exit at Brigham City and driving west approximately 15 miles. Visitor activities include birdwatching, photography, fishing, and hunting waterfowl and pheasant in season. Located at the old headquarters site is a fishing pier, pavilion, and restroom which are fully accessible to persons of all abilities. Visitors may drive or bicycle on a 12-mile auto tour route which starts and ends at the old headquarters site. Activities are confined to the auto tour route dike. All other areas on the Refuge are closed to public use except during approved hunting seasons. The Refuge auto tour route is open every day from sunrise to sunset except January through mid-March. All visitors must be off the Refuge before dark. As settlers moved into the area, ambitious projects were undertaken to divert great quantities of river water for use by upstream settlements and farms. The marshes ban to dry. By 1920, only two or three thousand acres of the original forty-five thousand acres of marshland were left. The loss of the marshlands through drying was a serious problem affecting the survival of migrating birds. But the drying occurred slowly, and attracted little attention or concern. Avian botulism, on the other hand, created gruesome scenes of hundreds of thousands dead and dying waterfowl and shorebirds. Records show that in addition to the two million birds that died in a 1910 outbreak, another die-off in 1920 claimed one and a half million birds. It was the public's reaction to these deadly epidemics that brought about action. In response to urging from many individuals and organizations, Congress in 1928, passed a special act to make the delta a National Wildlife Refuge. |
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The Flood In 1983, the rising waters of the Great Salt Lake topped Refuge dikes, contaminating wildlife habitats with salt water and destroying marsh vegetation. Dikes and water control structures were heavily damaged and all buildings were demolished. In short, the Refuge was rendered inoperable.  |
 By 1989, the lake receded enough that Refuge dikes could again be seen. Refuge employees, aided by scores of volunteers, began working to put Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge back together. A plan of action to restore and improve the Refuge was put in place. It includes: |
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To date, close to 1 million cubic yards of earth has been moved to restore
and enhance the Refuge. Forty-seven primary water control structures have
been restored along with over forty-seven miles of dikes. Through volunteer
efforts, debris has been removed from the old headquarters site and a
new pavilion, restroom, demonstration pond, and kiosk have been built
on the site. The 12-mile auto tour route has been reopened to the public. Bear River Refuge today consists of 74,000 acres. Approximately 9.000 acres were added to the Refuge through land acquisition during 1993-94. Much of this new property consists of uplands, wetlands, and mudflats. The historic 65,000 acres of Refuge consist of marsh, open water, and mudflats. Salts deposited by the flood have been flushed out enough to allow re-establishment of marsh plants, such as alkali bulrush and sago pond weed Now, birds are returning in ever increasing numbers to the Refuge and its marshes. Spring is a particularly enjoyable time to visit Bear River Refuge. There is a continuous flow of different species in and out of the Refuge. Each day offer something new. Birds are in their bright and colorful breeding plumages, and the observant visitors can witness eons-old courtship rituals. Baby birds may be seen as early as May when the Canada goose goslings make their debut. Later, in June and July, visitors can view ducklings and young shorebirds such as American avocets and black-necked stilts. In June and July the sight of young western grebes riding atop their parents' backs is especially exciting. White pelicans are common at Bear River Refuge much of the year. Parent birds make frequent flights between the Refuge and a nesting island in the Great Salt Lake. Small fish in the Refuge pools provide an excellent source of food for the adults and their wading young. After the chicks are fledged, they join flocks of adult birds in executing aerial maneuvers high over the Refuge. Up to half a million ducks and geese concentrate on the Refuge water impoundments in the fall. Tundra swans begin to arrive in mid-October, and in November, the flock increases to over 15,000 birds. Most birds leave the Refuge when the impoundments freeze over, usually by late November. Only a few species, such as Common raven and Red-winged blackbirds are year-round residents. From December though March, northern harriers, rough-legged hawks, prairie falcons and Bald eagles frequent the marsh, searching the frozen land for prey. The millions of feathered visitors that congregate here during migration will ultimately spread out widely over the hemisphere. Recoveries of birds banded at Bear River Refuge have shown that while many remain in the United States, principally west of the Mississippi River, some, may fly as far as Russia, Central America, or the islands in the Pacific. |
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