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Refuge Headquarters Phone: 573-876-1826 |
The Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge was created in September of 1994 ". . .for the development, advancement, management, conservation and protection of fish and wildlife resources ."
The refuge has grown to over 11,000 acres via purchases of land from willing sellers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approval through Congress to allow the refuge to acquire up to 60,000 acres of floodplains and adjacent lands on the lower Missouri River between Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri.
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The refuge consists of several units named for towns that once flourished, pioneers, or interesting facts or landmarks that have occurred on and along the Missouri River nicknamed the Big Muddy.
Many of these units are subject to flooding resulting from precipitation miles upstream. Visitors should monitor predicated river levels before venturing out on the refuge by visiting this website. Navigate to the gauge closest to the unit you are visiting. Don't put yourself in a life threatening situation by quickly rising floodwaters.
All of the lands of this refuge are open to hunting and fishing consistent with state regulations. You are also welcome to explore these units to take photos and observe wildlife. Many of the refuge units are difficult to access and to distinguish between adjacent private property because the boundary is not always well marked. We advise all visitors to be considerate of adjacent private property and avoid trespassing. The aerial photos provided in this website are a good guide but are not exact and the vegetation and landmarks have changed considerably. If you are interested in an area and are unsure of the boundary contact the refuge for further details.
Click here to view the Refuge Fact Sheet.
Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
4200 New Haven Road
Columbia, MO 65201
Phone: (573) 876-1826
Toll-Free: (800) 611-1826
BigMuddy@fws.gov
Deaf/Hard of Hearing individuals may reach the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge through Relay Missouri by dialing:
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711
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1-800-735-2966 (TTY/ASCII)
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1-866-735-2460 (voice)
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1-877-735-7877 (speech to speech)
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1-800-520-7309 (Spanish services)
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is an agency of the Department of the Interior. Its mission is, working with others, to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
