Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge. Comprehensive Conservation Plan

摘要

Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge), is located in Holt County in northwest Missouri, approximately midway between Kansas City, Missouri and Omaha, Nebraska, 2.5 miles off Interstate Highway 29 (Figure 1). This 7,415-acre refuge includes approximately 6,700 acres of floodplain that is managed as wetland, grassland and riparian habitats that attract up to 475 Bald Eagles, 300,000 Snow Geese, and 200,000 ducks during fall and winter seasons. The Refuge also manages 34 easements obtained from the Farm Service Agency, previously known as the Farmers Home Administration, or FmHA. These easements lie in 11 of the 15 counties that make up the Squaw Creek Wildlife Management District (Figure 2). The Refuge gets its name from Squaw Creek, a major stream that drains the Loess Hills on the east and flows through the Missouri River floodplain lands of the Refuge via a man-made ditch, and then empties into the Missouri River approximately 8 miles south of the Refuge. Davis Creek, which has also been ditched, flows along the eastern Refuge boundary and joins Squaw Creek just after leaving the Refuge. The Refuge's west boundary is about 5 miles from the closest bank of the Missouri River. The Santa Fe-Burlington Northern railroad embankment runs along the west Refuge boundary. Its embankment provides some protection from Missouri River overflows.