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Contacting the Refuge:

Refuge Manager: Alice Hanley
e-mail: BigStone@fws.gov or MidwestNews@fws.gov

44843 County Road 19
Odessa, MN 56276
Phone: 320-273-2191
Fax: 320-273-2231
TTY: 1-800-877-8339 (Federal Relay)

Located three miles southeast of Ortonville, Minnesota, on Highway 7

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Downloads:

Big Stone Public Use Guidelines (915k pdf format)

Big Stone NWR brochure (353k pdf format)

Visit Refuge Profile Page

Visit Wetland Management District Profile Page

Refuge Facts

• Established: 1975

• Acres: 11,521

• Part of the Big Stone-Whetstone River Project of Minnesota and South Dakota

• Land originally purchased by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and transferred to the Service

Financial Impact of Refuge

• Nine person staff

• 30,000 visitors annually

• FY 2006 Budget: $1.8 million

Natural History

• Refuge consists of wetlands and grasslands located in the tallgrass prairie life zone

• Contains more than 6,000 acres of grassland, including large tracts of native prairie

• Major waterfowl production and migration area

• Maintains the only population of ball cactus in Minnesota

• Refuge serves as a wintering area for as many as 1,200 whitetail deer

• Unique features include the lichen covered granite outcrops for which the refuge was named

• Maintains a population of reintroduced river otters

Refuge Objectives

• Provide resting, nesting and feeding habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds

• Provide habitat for resident wildlife

• Protect endangered and threatened species

• Provide for biodiversity

• Provide public opportunities for outdoor recreation and environmental education

Highlight

The refuge is engaged in shorebird research focused on increasing our knowledge of their length of stay on fall migration sites and the value of temporary/seasonal wetlands

Priorities

• Construct a new visitor center

• Construct entrance roads, approaches, parking lots and install culverts where needed on all Waterfowl Production Areas

• Expand the biological program and the refuge’s ability to restore degraded habitats

Public Use Opportunities

• Hiking

• Hunting and fishing

• Environmental education

• Wildlife observation

• Auto tour route

Last updated: July 8, 2008

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