Jamestown Wildlife Area consist of in Northern Kansas. It is located primarily in

Republic County, Kansas Republic County (standard abbreviation: RP) is a U.S. county, county located in the U.S. state, state of Kansas, south from the Nebraska state line. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the county population was 4,674. The largest ...

and partially in

Cloud County, Kansas Cloud County (county code CD) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 9,032. Its county seat and most populous city is Concordia. History Early history For many millennia, the Great ...

. Driving directions are North and West of Jamestown. The area is commonly called "Jamestown Lake" by local residents. The area is popular for both

hunting Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

and

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

. The lake and its surrounding areas are maintained by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

History

The Jamestown Wildlife Area is a collection of

wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...

and

uplands Upland or Uplands may refer to: Geography *Hill, an area of higher land, generally *Highland, an area of higher land divided into low and high points *Upland and lowland, conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level *I ...

that have been under state management since 1932. The two larger marshes were one of the twelve wetlands sold to provide funding for Emporia State Teachers College. Historically, the area was considered a "salty”, shallow, marshy area. In dry seasons salt could be found, and a large amount of wildlife would come to the area in the wet season. The area marshes attracted Native Americans, early

settlers A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer. Settle ...

and were important to migrating herds of

bison Bison are large bovines in the genus ''Bison'' (Greek: "wild ox" (bison)) within the tribe Bovini. Two extant and numerous extinct species are recognised. Of the two surviving species, the American bison, ''B. bison'', found only in North Ame ...

, flocks of

waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which in ...

and other wildlife. Local residents constructed

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...

s on the lower ends of both large marshes in the early 20th century to provide a more reliable water supply for recreation.

References

External links

Jamestown Wildlife Area

Map of Jamestown Lake
* Republic County Maps
CurrentHistoric
KDOT * Cloud County Maps
CurrentHistoric
KDOT {{coord, 39, 40, 00, N, 97, 54, 21, W, display=title Protected areas of Cloud County, Kansas Protected areas of Republic County, Kansas Wetlands of Kansas Recreational areas in Kansas Landforms of Cloud County, Kansas