Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge

Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge is located in the rolling hills and narrow valley of the North Fork of the Solomon River in north-central Kansas. On the ancestral homelands of the Pawnee (Pâri), the Refuge lies in an area where the tall-grass prairies of the east meet the short-grass plains of the west. As a result, a mixture of wildlife, grasses, and wildflowers found from both prairie habitats are found on the Refuge.

Snow Geese descending on Kirwin Reservoir

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza at Kirwin NWR

Kirwin NWR is currently experiencing an avian mortality event due to an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza or HPAI. HPAI viruses can affect domestic animals, wildlife, particularly snow geese, and even human health. Please use caution when visiting the refuge. AVOID contact with dead or sick birds, DO NOT harvest any animal that appears sick, and KEEP DOGS from handling sick animals. If you do harvest game, it should be cooked at 165°F before being consumed.

Please visit HPAI for further information about what the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is doing to mitigate HPAI outbreaks.

Visit Us

Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to see prairie wildlife and wildflowers. Early morning or just before sunset are the best times to observe wildlife. Enjoy walking, hiking, fishing, hunting, bicycling, and/or driving the Refuge.

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Location and Contact Information

Seasonal Boat Closure on Kirwin Reservoir (10/1/2024 - 4/1/2025)

Due to current water levels (<1,722 ft), Refuge staff are implementing a seasonal boat closure on Kirwin Reservoir until April 1, 2025. The purpose of this closure is to minimize disturbance to resting waterfowl during migration. While the closure is in place, boats may be launched only from the boat ramp at Scout Cove, and boat fishing is restricted to the area south of the buoy line in the Bow Creek Hunting Unit. The rest of the reservoir is closed to boat fishing, but shore fishing may continue across the reservoir. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

About Us

Along the seam, where the tall and short grasses of the rolling prairie embrace and dance in the Kansas wind, two valleys join and beckon abundant wildlife and visitors alike. Visitors to the refuge will find themselves charmed by the melody of the meadowlark, captivated by the expansive vistas from limestone outcrops, and delighted by the bountiful resources of its land and waters. Wildlife-dependent recreation amid the solitude of the Refuge, provide present and future generations with an experience to remember for a lifetime.

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What We Do

The purpose of the Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge is the conservation, maintenance, and management of wildlife resources and habitat with an emphasis on migratory birds.

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Our Species

The Refuge provides food, shelter, and nesting areas for migratory grassland and tree-dwelling birds, waterfowl, shorebirds, and cranes. These include sandhill and the endangered whooping cranes, Canada geese, northern pintail, American wigeon, mallards, greater prairie chickens, western meadowlarks, great blue herons, and many more. Many mammals like the black-tailed prairie dog and white-tailed deer can also be seen on Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge.

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