Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a
National Wildlife Refuge established in 1937 and located in
Chariton County,
Missouri
Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...
, south of the town of
Sumner. It is located near the confluence of the
Grand
Grand may refer to:
People with the name
* Grand (surname)
* Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor
* Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist
* Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper
Places
* Grand, Oklahoma
* Grand, Vosges, village and c ...
and
Missouri Rivers.
Following the purchase of the land, the
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...
began work on the refuge creating
wetland
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 p ...
s, constructing roads and buildings, and initiating the refuge farming program.
The primary purpose of the refuge is to provide nesting, resting, and feeding areas for waterfowl, primarily ducks. Two hundred and forty-one avian species have been observed residing on or passing through the refuge; another fourteen birds, listed under accidentals on th
bird list have been reported but are not normally expected to be present. An important secondary purpose was to preserve a remnant flock of
prairie chicken
''Tympanuchus'' is a small genus of birds in the grouse family. They are commonly referred to as prairie chickens.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Tympanuchus'' was introduced in 1841 by the German zoologist Constantin Wilhelm Lambert Gloger for the grea ...
s. However, adequate grassland habitat to maintain a viable population of these birds was not available.
Since establishment of the refuge, the primary emphasis on waterfowl species has been expanded to include the Eastern Prairie Population of
Canada geese
The Canada goose (''Branta canadensis''), or Canadian goose, is a large wild goose with a black head and neck, white cheeks, white under its chin, and a brown body. It is native to the arctic and temperate regions of North America, and it is o ...
. Canada geese were first observed using the refuge in the early 1940s, and numbers increased gradually to peak populations over 200,000 birds annually. Although these populations have steadily declined, Swan Lake is still considered a primary wintering area for Canada geese.
References
Refuge website
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National Wildlife Refuges in Missouri
Protected areas of Chariton County, Missouri
Protected areas established in 1937
Civilian Conservation Corps in Missouri
Wetlands of Missouri
Landforms of Chariton County, Missouri