The Boyer Chute project is a joint Federal and local conservation partnership success story. The project has restored the area to near pre-channelization condition without affecting navigation on the main stem of the Missouri River. Boyer Chute is once again a functioning part of the river. Close to 3,350 acres of floodplain woodland, tallgrass prairie, and wetland habitats now benefit Missouri River fishes, migratory birds, endangered species, and resident wildlife.

Management activities revolve primarily around habitat restoration. Upland restoration has been ongoing since 1993 with the objective of emulating historic habitat. It is reasonable to assume that the floodplain historically contained a mixture of riparian forest and vast expanses of grassland. To that end, most of the Refuge uplands have been seeded to native prairie grasses and forbs. Upland restoration provides critical habitat for grassland-dependent migratory species such as bobolinks and dickcissels.

Wetland restoration beyond the chute itself began in 1997. As tracts of land are acquired, old river scars and associated wetlands are being restored by removing layers of silt and constructing low level dikes. Wetlands such as these provide habitat for a whole suite of species that depend on wetlands for survival. Restoration of other chutes and river banks to create shallow water habitat will be a major focus in the coming years.