Mingo National Wildlife Refuge
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The Mingo National Wildlife Refuge is a 21,676-acre (87.7-km2) National Wildlife Refuge located in northwestern Stoddard and southeastern Wayne counties in
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 ...
. Its southwesternmost portion lies on the shores of
Lake Wappapello Lake Wappapello is a reservoir on the St. Francis River, formed by Wappapello Dam (). Created in 1941, this lake is located south of St. Louis, Missouri. The reservoir lies mostly in Wayne County, but its southernmost reaches (near the dam) ...
. Named after the Mingo tribe, it was established to preserve bottomland hardwoods and provide waterfowl and other migratory birds in the
Mississippi Flyway The Mississippi Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Mississippi, Missouri, and Lower Ohio Rivers in the United States across the western Great Lakes to the Mackenzie River and Hudson Bay in Canada. The main endpoints of ...
with nesting, feeding, brooding, and resting habitat. The refuge is maintained with a 9-person staff, with a fiscal year 2004 budget of $1.2 million.


History

In 1804, the United States acquired this territory in the
Louisiana Purchase The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...
. At that time, the population of the entire Bootheel was sparse, and the swamp area was considered inaccessible. When Missouri became a state in 1821, all of the counties in southeast Missouri had settlers, except Stoddard and Dunklin Counties, although
Cape Girardeau Cape Girardeau ( , french: Cap-Girardeau ; colloquially referred to as "Cape") is a city in Cape Girardeau and Scott Counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. At the 2020 census, the population was 39,540. The city is one of two principal citi ...
was one of the most important river towns in Missouri. Settlers first came to the swamp because of the vast cypress and
tupelo Tupelo , genus ''Nyssa'' , is a small genus of deciduous trees with alternate, simple leaves. It is sometimes included in the subfamily Nyssoideae of the dogwood family, Cornaceae, but is placed by other authorities in the family Nyssaceae. In ...
forests. The giant cypress trees were the first to be used for railroad ties and building lumber. The T.J. Moss Tie Company was a large Bootheel lumbering operation, with its headquarters in Puxico, Missouri. By 1888, T.J. Moss was the largest tie contractor in the state, and many of their ties were cut from trees taken from the swamp. A large mill was operated just north of Puxico on land now within Mingo NWR. Local sources claim that, at one time, the mill was the largest bandsaw mill in America. The lumber industry reached peak production in the Bootheel between 1900 and 1910. During its peak, the Bootheel was consistently the leading lumber-producing area of Missouri. However, by 1935, most of the large operations had ceased. The giant trees were cut and it was necessary to find lumber in other places. The powerful and wealthy lumber companies had not lost interest in the Bootheel yet. If the land could be drained, it would again become an important source of revenue. The size of the projects remained small because of the expanse involved. The lumber companies had considerable capital to invest, but demanded large grants of land for the drainage and were frequently more interested in the land than in efficiency of their drainage ditches. The
Missouri State Legislature The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Senate and a 163-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are ...
passed an act that allowed the formation of drainage districts, financed by long-term bonds. For the first time, drainage projects could be adequately financed and many drainage districts were created in the Bootheel. In 1914, more than 20 drainage districts existed in Stoddard County. One of them was the Mingo Drainage District, a small district in the Advance Lowlands near Puxico. More than $1 million were spent to make Mingo Swamp suitable for farming. A system of seven major north–south ditches was constructed to drain water from the swamp into the St. Francis River, about south of Puxico. Except for the narrow southern extension of the district south of Puxico, the district's boundary and the Mingo NWR boundary are essentially the same. The ditches constructed by the district are used today by the refuge for water control and management. During the Great Depression, land values plummeted and many of the large landholders (lumber companies) defaulted on payment of taxes rather than continue to maintain unprofitable investments in the land. Throughout the Bootheel, many drainage districts were unable to meet financial obligations and defaulted on bond payments, largely because they could not absorb the loss of revenue created by the large landholders. Mingo District was one of these. Drainage attempts at Mingo had not been completely successful, at least in part because of the overflow from the St. Francis River. Also, the soil was not as productive as in other areas of the Bootheel. During the 1930s, Mingo District became insolvent. The remaining timber was cut by anyone without regard to ownership. The area was open range country. Cattle and hogs ran over the entire swamp. To maintain it in a grassy condition, the land was burned, often several times a year. Hogs and cattle became so numerous, they overflowed into the small towns near the swamp. Indiscriminate shooting of waterfowl was common. Other wildlife species were also not faring so well. Beaver and deer had disappeared and the wild turkey were nearly extinct from the swamp. In 1945, the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...
purchased 21,676 acres (87.7 km2) of the Mingo Swamp and established the Mingo National Wildlife Reserve. The condition of the land was deplorable. In the previous 50 years, people had reduced a beautiful swamp, lush with the growth of plants and alive with animals, into a burnt and eroded wasteland. Through careful management, most of the natural plants and animals were restored. Native trees have replaced much of the brush and briers, and a canoe trip down the Mingo River will now reveal little to the casual observer of the abuse to this land in years past. Deer, wild turkey, bobcat, and beaver have returned and are plentiful. The refuge is now able to accomplish its primary objective; providing food and shelter for migratory waterfowl. The establishment of the Mingo Wilderness Area in 1976 helps ensure this protection for future generations of Americans.


Topography

About 25,000 years ago, the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...
ran between the
Ozark Mountains The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant port ...
and a terrace called
Crowley's Ridge Crowley's Ridge (also Crowleys Ridge) is a geological formation that rises 250 to above the alluvial plain of the Mississippi embayment in a line from southeastern Missouri to the Mississippi River near Helena, Arkansas. It is the most pro ...
. Then, around 18,000 years ago, the river shifted, slicing its way through Crowley's Ridge to join the Ohio River further north. The abandoned riverbed developed into a rich and fertile swamp. The refuge lies in a basin formed in an ancient abandoned channel of the Mississippi, bordered on the west by the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, and on the east by Crowley's Ridge. The refuge contains the only remaining large tract of bottomland forest of 15,000 acres (61 km2) from the original 2.5 million acres (10,000 km2) native to the bootheel of Missouri. There are seven natural areas and 99 archaeological sites. About 8000 acres (32 km2) of land are contained in the Mingo Wilderness. Additionally, the 6,190-acre (25-km2) Missouri Department of Conservation, Duck Creek Conservation Area,Duck Creek Conservation Area (area summary)
/ref> joins the refuge on the north and east boundary.


Wildlife and protected species

Mingo's primary goal is to protect wilderness resources and critical habitat for migratory waterfowl. Located in the center of the busy Mississippi Flyway, the refuge serves as an important resting and feeding area for
migratory bird Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting b ...
s heading south. In addition to resident waterfowl species, Mingo provides for migrating
duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ...
s,
geese A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the she ...
,
shorebird 245px, A flock of Dunlins and Red knots">Red_knot.html" ;"title="Dunlins and Red knot">Dunlins and Red knots Waders or shorebirds are birds of the order Charadriiformes commonly found wikt:wade#Etymology 1, wading along shorelines and mudflat ...
s,
gull Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to the terns and skimmers and only distantly related to auks, and even more distantly to waders. Until the 21st century ...
s,
tern Terns are seabirds in the family Laridae that have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands. Terns are treated as a subgroup of the family Laridae which includes gulls and skimmers and consists of e ...
s, loons,
grebe Grebes () are aquatic diving birds in the order Podicipediformes . Grebes are widely distributed freshwater birds, with some species also found in marine habitats during migration and winter. Some flightless species exist as well, most notably ...
s, pelicans, cormorants, herons,
bittern Bitterns are birds belonging to the subfamily Botaurinae of the heron family Ardeidae. Bitterns tend to be shorter-necked and more secretive than other members of the family. They were called ''hæferblæte'' in Old English; the word "bittern ...
s,
ibis The ibises () (collective plural ibis; classical plurals ibides and ibes) are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. "Ibis" derives from the Latin and Ancient Greek word ...
es,
rail Rail or rails may refer to: Rail transport *Rail transport and related matters *Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway Arts and media Film * ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini * ''Rail'' ( ...
s,
coot Coots are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family, Rallidae. They constitute the genus ''Fulica'', the name being the Latin term for "coot". Coots have predominantly black plumage, and—unlike many rails—they are usually ...
s, and swans. Over 95 species of migratory waterfowl have been seen at Mingo. Through year-round management of the water levels on the refuge, the feeding and resting requirements of migrating birds can be met. The refuge provides wintering habitat for over 150,000 ducks and 75,000 geese. Mingo also provides for other types of migratory and nonmigratory avian species. Over 250 species of birds have been seen at Mingo. Included in this list are the peregrine falcon, endangered
whooping crane The whooping crane (''Grus americana'') is the tallest North American bird, named for its whooping sound. It is an endangered crane species. Along with the sandhill crane (''Antigone canadensis''), it is one of only two crane species native to ...
, and threatened bald eagle. Due to the diverse habitat, Mingo is home for a wide variety of lowland swamp species and upland forest and field species. Mingo is home to over 38 species of mammals, 23 species of amphibians, and 37 species of reptiles. Due to wilderness protection and inaccessibility to many areas of the refuge, mammals, amphibians and reptiles are abundant but seldom seen, remaining for the most part unspoiled by man's influence.


Facilities

Wildlife observation and photography are welcomed at the refuge. Twelve miles of refuge roadway are open daily, providing four observation overlooks and one boardwalk nature trail. A 25-mile, scenic, seasonal auto tour route is open throughout April and May to view spring wildflowers and spring songbird migration and October and November for the fall foliage and waterfowl migration. Limited hunting for
deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...
,
wild turkey The wild turkey (''Meleagris gallopavo'') is an upland ground bird native to North America, one of two extant species of turkey and the heaviest member of the order Galliformes. It is the ancestor to the domestic turkey, which was originally d ...
, squirrel, and
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 i ...
is available in designated areas of the refuge. Fishing for bass, crappie, bluegill, and
catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive ...
is a popular activity on the refuge.


Trails

The refuge has three designated trails along with of unmarked trails:


Boardwalk Nature Trail

The Boardwalk Nature Trail allows visitors to enjoy the Mingo Swamp without getting wet. Down this path lies a one-mile (1.6-km) loop trail through the bottomland hardwood swamp. A self-guided pamphlet of the trail is available at the Boardwalk parking lot. The path is wheelchair accessible.


Bluff Trail

The quarter-mile Bluff Trail begins at the Visitor Center and connects with the Boardwalk. It provides a fascinating hike when wildflowers are blooming in the spring. It also furnishes an interesting view of the steep
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
bluffs bordering the swamp that once was the Mississippi River. This trail is rated "challenging" for hikers.


Hartz Pond Trail

The Hartz Pond Trail begins in the Visitor Center parking lot and leads to Hartz Pond, a small pond with a picnic table and fishing opportunities for children. Hartz Pond is also used an outdoor classroom for environmental education classes.


Other hiking areas

In addition to the trails listed above, Mingo has over of hiking opportunities on other refuge roads, dikes, and levees that are not open to vehicular traffic, but are open to foot traffic from March 15 through September 30. Visitors should contact the Visitor Center before venturing out for directions and special regulations that may apply.


See also

*
List of National Wildlife Refuges As of 2022, there are 588 National Wildlife Refuges in the United States, with the addition of the Green River National Wildlife Refuge. Refuges that have boundaries in multiple states are listed only in the state where the main visitor entrance i ...


References


External links


Mingo National Wildlife Refuge homepage

Recreation.gov overview
{{authority control National Wildlife Refuges in Missouri Protected areas of Stoddard County, Missouri Protected areas of Wayne County, Missouri Wetlands of Missouri Landforms of Stoddard County, Missouri Landforms of Wayne County, Missouri