About Us
The J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge was established and acquired under the authority of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 715-715d, as amended). Executive Order 7170, dated September 4, 1935, established the Lower Souris National Wildlife Refuge. The name was officially changed to the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge in September 1967. This refuge was “set apart as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife,” and “for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other management purpose, for migratory birds.” The primary habitat management goal is to preserve, restore, and enhance Souris River Basin habitats. In doing so, the refuge can provide life requirements for migratory birds and other wildlife by providing habitats representative of prairie wetlands, riparian lands, and uplands of the Northern Great Plains.
The 58,700 acre refuge extends from the Manitoba border southward for approximately 45 miles within an area that was once Glacial Lake Souris (7,000-10,000 years ago). The area surrounding the refuge is characterized by extremely flat topography and a high density of wetlands, derived from the area once being the lake bottom of Glacial Lake Souris. Approximately one-third of the refuge (the southern portion) consists of wooded river bottom, floodplain meadows, and native prairie sandhills interspersed with aspen, oak, and brush. The sandhills are what remain of wind- and wave-borne deposits on the shoreline of Glacial Lake Souris. The remainder of the refuge consists of river valley wetlands bordered by a narrow strip of adjacent grassland, embedded in a cropland matrix.
Climate
The area’s climate is classified as semiarid to subhumid continental. It is characterized by long, cold winters, moderately warm summers, and rapidly changing weather patterns. The average growing season ranges from 96 to 106 days. The average daily summer temperature is in the mid to upper 60s (°F) with the average high temperature in the upper 70s to low 80s. The average winter low temperature ranges from -1 to -5°F. Average annual snowfall ranges from 30 to 40 inches. The average annual precipitation ranges from 16.7 to 17.5 inches with almost 80% occurring between April and September.
Soils
The soils in this part of North Dakota are of two major categories: recent alluvium and general deposits. The alluvium is in the Souris River valley where it generally exceeds 30 feet in thickness. Glacial deposits consist primarily of glacial till and glacial lacustrine sediments. The soils formed in glacial till are loam or clay loam with thin seams and lenses of sand and gravel, ranging in thickness from 50 to 200 feet. There are 18 individual land capability classes and subclasses consisting of over 300 soil types according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service inventories.
Vegetation
The refuge is located within northern mixed-grass prairie, a transition area between western short-grass and eastern tall-grass prairies. Remnant prairies dominate portions of the refuge, especially on sandy soils. The primary plant species are green needle-grasses, wheat-grasses, blue grama, and prairie junegrass. Little bluestem, big bluestem, sideoats gamma, and switchgrass are found in wetter sites. Prairie sandreed and sand bluestem are found in the sandhills portion of the refuge. Forbs species are diverse but dominated by the aster and bean family. Adjacent lands are composed of cropland (small grains and oilseed crops), Conservation Reserve Program grasslands, and native rangeland.
Water
Glaciated “prairie potholes” are one of the most obvious water resources in the area. Wetland densities exceed 270 per square mile in some areas, particularly the Turtle Mountains and Missouri Coteau Landforms. Wetlands are extremely productive and are used as breeding and nesting habitat for the many species of migratory birds. Wetland basins have water regimes that are temporary, seasonal, semi-permanent, and lake-like in terms of water depth and permanence. Dominant meadow and emergent wetland plants include grasses, sedges, and rushes.
The Souris River originates in southern Saskatchewan, flows southwest to Velva, North Dakota, and then generally north to join the Assiniboine River in southern Manitoba. The U.S. portion of the river is 358 miles in length and has a drainage basin of 9,000 square miles; 371 miles of river and 15,000 square miles of basin are in Canada. Approximately 75 miles of the Souris River are within the boundaries of the refuge.
Wetland habitats include high-value deep and shallow managed freshwater marshes within the Souris River flood plain. Five major dikes with water control structures have created over 23,000 acres of open water, marsh and wet meadow habitat for migratory bird use. Six subimpoundments within the main marshes provide additional management capability.
A breakdown of major habitat types follows:
Fresh Water Wetlands - 26,000 Acres
Riparian and Meadow - 8,042 Acres
Prairie Parkland (mix of prairie and woodland) - 9,579 Acres
Sandhills Prairie - 2,802
Drift Prairie (native grassland on loam soils) - 4,420 Acres
Old Cropland (previously farmed areas reseeded to grasses and forbs) - 7,675 Acres
Common Shorebird Species:
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Black-necked Stilt
American Avocet
Willet
Long-billed Curlew
Marbled Godwit
Western Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Dunlin
Short-billed Dowitcher
Red-necked Phalarope
Snowy Plover
Semipalmated Plover
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Ecology & Conservation
Land use:
Settlement of the area began during the late 1800s. During the next 40 years, significant prairie and wetland resources were plowed and drained for conversion to agricultural production. Over 70% of the privately owned land within the boundary of the 5-county refuge complex, which includes J. Clark Salyer Refuge, is classified as cultivated cropland. Approximately 25% is classified as native prairie. The remaining 5% is public land. Wetland drainage has been extensive, although undrained wetlands remain a prominent feature of the landscape. J. Clark Salyer Refuge is dedicated to the maintenance of habitats and wildlife populations representative of the area prior to settlement by people of European descent.
The refuge is part of the Souris River Basin National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Complex which also includes the 5-county J. Clark Salyer Wetland Management District (WMD), Upper Souris NWR, and Des Lacs NWR. The Complex includes over 308,000 acres as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
The refuge receives approximately 15,000 visits annually. About 35 to 40 percent of the visits are for interpretation, wildlife observation, and environmental education. The balance of the visits is primarily for hunting and fishing. The refuge is among the primary stops for birders visiting North Dakota, with steady increases in birding during the past 10 years. Most wildlife observation occurs from May through mid October.
Much of rural North Dakota is experiencing a decreasing population. The combined population of the two counties in which the refuge is located is about 14,000. Eleven small communities within 20 miles of the refuge have a combined population of 7,550. Minot, the largest area community about 50 miles from the refuge, has a population of 36,567.
Protection:
The area is afforded protection by all laws, regulations, and policies governing protection, management, and use of the units of the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Current Threats:
Recent reconstruction of two dams in the Upper Souris River Basin in Saskatchewan and completion of a flood-control project to provide 100-year flood protection for Minot, ND, have altered hydrology and hydroperiod when compared to historic free-flowing river system. The historic hydroperiod has been greatly modified, with peak spring river flows (usually March-April) now reduced in volume but extended in duration, often into late June. The ability to dewater riverine wetlands (i.e., drawdown), a critical process for maintaining long-term wetland productivity, is reduced.
Water quality is also a concern throughout the Souris River Basin in North Dakota. Nonpoint-source pollution and sedimentation from adjacent agriculture lands are continued threats.
Major Causes of Disturbance:
Agricultural runoff, chemical contamination, sedimentation. Continued conversion of adjacent grasslands/wetlands for agricultural production (off refuge).
Research and Management Activities:
The refuge completed a 15-year Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) in 2007. The link to the plan is: http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/planning/States/North%20Dakota/souris_refuges/sourisccp_final/0_web_sourisccp.pdf.
The CCP emphasizes restoration of ecological processes important in the evolution and maintenance of native plant communities and wildlife populations characteristic of the area.
Specific criteria and objectives identify areas for restoration, with high-priority areas more likely restored than those more degraded. In recognition of inadequate resources to manage all wildlife habitats and populations occurring at J. Clark Salyer NWR, a triage approach will be used that requires careful and deliberate consideration of management priorities (especially allocation of funding and staffing) relative to expected ecological resource benefits.
The goal for wetland habitats specifies “Management of riverine wetlands, including marshes, meadow, and riparian wetlands, to sustain the long-term capacity of wetlands in support of diverse plant and wildlife communities, characteristic of the northern Great Plains region.” Specifically, managers hope to restore ecological processes that sustain long-term productivity of wetland habitats. This approach constitutes a new management philosophy that emphasizes long-term wetland productivity over older models based on “oasis” management, where wet acres are maximized (especially during extreme drought) or years of “hemi-marsh” conditions are maximized. In high-priority wetlands, managers use periodic disturbance to provide the full spectrum of wetland conditions—for example, (1) dry marsh, (2) densely vegetated marsh (regenerative phase), (3) hemi-marsh, (4) open marsh (degenerative phase), and (5) open water—to benefit wetland-dependent wildlife, including shorebirds.
Over the course of the CCP, efforts will be made on a watershed level that reduce sedimentation and nonpoint-source pollution and/or their effects on riverine marshes.
Shorebirds are expected to benefit from the new management approach outlined in the CCP, primarily because drawdowns are likely to be more frequent than in the past. Following the triage approach outlined in the CCP, no additional monitoring to estimate shorebird populations or their response to wetland management is planned. The unpredictability of shorebird use in the Prairie Pothole Region and the large size and complex configuration of refuge marsh units make gathering meaningful population data a daunting task.
Photo Gallery
Photos by Gary Eslinger. All rights reserved.
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Special Information
Historically, the primary interest of individuals from the local communities has been hunting and fishing. Wildlife observation, particularly birding, is increasing in popularity, and local communities express interest in promoting these activities. Groups using the site include local schools and colleges, scouts, birding clubs, elder hostels, Bottineau County Wildlife Club, North Dakota Wildlife Federation Youth Camp, church groups, and teacher education classes.
Migratory Bird Day, National Wildlife Refuge Week activities, and waterfowl banding are regular events at the site.
Motels and many support services benefit from public use of the refuge and surrounding area. Interest in promoting birding and eco-tourism is growing in local communities.
The site and surrounding landscape have benefited from habitat protection, restoration, and enhancement projects funded by four North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grants.
Contact
J. Clark Salyer NWR
681 Salyer Road
Upham, ND 58789
(701) 768-2548
Jclarksalyer@fws.gov
Additional Resources
J. Clark Salyer NWR’s Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP)
Bibliography:
Berkey, G. and Martin, R. 1993. Souris loop birds. United States Fish and Wildlife Service pamphlet, J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge, North Dakota.
Bethke, R.W. and Nudds, T.D. 1995. “Effects of climate and land use on duck abundance in Canadian prairie-parklands.” Ecological Applications, 5: 588-600.
Boyd, D. 1999. “Conserving Prairie Pit-Stops.” Pp 18-20 in K.H. Grey, editor. Conservation Sciences. Manomet, Inc., Spring 1999.
Brown, S., Hickey, C., and Harrington, B. (eds). 2000. The U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan. Manoment Center for Conservation Sciences, Manomet, MA.
Bryce, S., et al. 1998. Ecoregions of North Dakota and South Dakota. Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Home Page. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/1998/ndsdeco.htm.
Fitzgerald, J.A., Pashley, D.N., and Pardo, B. (eds). 1999. Partners in Flight. Draft bird conservation plan for the northern mixed-grass prairie. 53 pp.
Pashley, D.N., et al. 1999. Partners in Flight. Conservation of land birds of the United States. American Bird Conservancy. 92 pp.
Skagen, S.K., et al. 1999. “Biogeological profiles of shorebird migration in midcontinental North America.” Biological Science Report USGS/BRD/BSR-2000-0003. U.S. Government Printing Office, Denver, CO. 167 pp.
