About Us
Black Coulee National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1938 by Executive Order Number 7801 as “a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The general topography of the land is rolling mixed-grass prairie with major drainages running in a northeasterly direction. Black Coulee Reservoir provides water for migratory birds as well as nesting and brood-rearing habitat. It also serves as an important migration stop-over in the spring and fall
Our Mission
Each unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System is established to serve a statutory purpose that targets the conservation of native species dependent on its lands and waters. All activities on those acres are reviewed for compatibility with this statutory purpose.
The purpose of Black Coulee National Wildlife Refuge is for “water conservation, drought relief, and for migratory bird and wildlife conservation purposes […] wildlife conservation demonstration unit and closed refuge and reservation for migratory birds and other wildlife.” Three refuge and flowage easements, 1937-38 and as “a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife.” Executive Order 7801, January 28, 1938.
Our History
The history of Black Coulee National Wildlife Refuge is tied to the Emergency Relief Act and the Works Progress Administration program. Created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl era of the mid-1930’s, these programs were developed to employ the maximum number of people to work on public lands. During the Dust Bowl era, the country and the government were very focused on capturing and conserving water for wildlife, particularly waterfowl, and agricultural operations. Water impoundments were popularized when the connection was made to employing out-of-work citizens to build the structures needed to impound and manage limited water resources.