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Toppenish
National Wildlife Refuge
State Route 97
Toppenish, WA   
E-mail: mcriver@fws.gov
Phone Number: (509) 546-8300
Visit the Refuge's Web Site:
http://www.fws.gov/toppenish/
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  Overview
Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge
In the agriculturally intensive Yakima Valley of eastern Washington, there is a wildlife oasis—the Toppenish National Wildlife Refuge. Using the waters of Toppenish and Snake Creeks and supplemented with summer irrigation, managers are able to provide a mosaic of refuge wetlands interspersed with lush riparian and native upland habitats.

Wetland habitats rich with food attract thousands of wintering waterfowl, and during the summer, provide breeding grounds for an array of wetland-dependent birds, mammals, and plants. Winding its way through the refuge, Toppenish Creek serves an important role as one of the last remaining streams where Columbia River steelhead, one of America's endangered species, still reproduce in good numbers.

Toppenish Refuge is a place where people observe spectacular concentrations of waterfowl or participate in wildlife-dependent recreation such as hunting, wildlife photography or environmental education programs.


Getting There . . .
From the town of Toppenish, take Highway 97 south approximately 10 miles.

The refuge entrance is on the west side of Highway 97.

Get Google map and directions to this refuge/WMD from a specified address:

Your full starting address AND town and state OR zip code


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NOTE: When using this feature, you will be leaving the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service domain. We do not control the content or policies of the site you are about to visit. You should always check site policies before providing personal information or reusing content.

These driving directions are provided as a general guide only. No representation is made or warranty given as to their content, road conditions or route usability or expeditiousness. User assumes all risk of use.

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Wildlife and Habitat
Toppenish Refuge is an important link in the chain of feeding and resting areas for waterfowl and other migratory birds using the Pacific Flyway.

Learn More>>


    Recreation and Education Opportunities
Hunting
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Managment Activities

To provide more for wildlife, refuge staff use management practices such as water manipulation, mowing, and burning to mimic and/or enhance natural processes such as flooding and fire. Water level manipulation is used to promote the diverse wetland plant growth that provides a variety of food and shelter choices for wildlife.

Selected refuge marshes are flooded from September-October through May-June. Water is pumped from Toppenish Creek, diverted from Snake Creek, or delivered water from the local irrigation district. It is held on the refuge by a system of dikes and water control structures and used to carefully flood the natural wetland basin.

Deeper water areas offer a safe resting haven for many birds. In May and June, water levels are gradually lowered by drawdown and evaporation. This develops a productive wetland habitat that benefits migratory and wintering waterfowl and other wildlife by allowing germination of seed-bearing plants for food and cover.

To keep open water areas from closing in, prescribed burning is used together with disking and plowing to inhibit the regrowth of invasive plants such as reed canarygrass, which can quickly out-compete native plants. In uplands, fire invigorates grass nesting cover for waterfowl and other ground nesting girds.

It also reduces brush and weeds, increases the amount of grasses and forbs, and creates green browse for migratory geese in both spring and fall. Mowing, disking, seeding, and transplanting native vegetation are also used to make the refuge more attractive to migrating birds and resident wildlife.

A large portion of refuge wetlands has been restored by contouring wetland basins and installing new water control structures, delivery systems, and low-level dikes. Land contouring restores the habitat to mimic natural conditions, handle flood flows, and have as much habitat edge and diversity as possible.

This multi-year restoration project involved many partners, including Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, the Washington Department of Fish and Game, the Yakama Indian Nation, and others.