The 750,000-acre Northern Innoko National Wildlife Refuge, commonly known as Kaiyuh Flats, is managed as part of the Koyukuk/Nowitna Refuge Complex. Rich in wetlands, the Northern Innoko is an extremely productive breeding area for migratory waterfowl and fish. The streams and rivers of the refuge complex support three species of salmon, arctic grayling, sheefish, and many other fish species. Northern pike, especially those that winter in the shallow lakes of the Northern Innoko National Wildlife Refuge, sometimes grow to record size.

In the Koyukuk's wetlands, breeding waterfowl feast upon water plants and abundant protein-rich invertebrates. Young birds grow quickly in the short, lush summer, and prepare for the fall migration. As many as 100,000 ducks are hatched and raised on Refuge lands during a single nesting season. Migratory songbirds and raptors also depend on the rich resources of the Koyukuk Refuge for breeding and raising young.

Koyukuk Refuge's Three-Day Slough area, part of the 400,000 acre Koyukuk Wilderness, has some of the most productive moose habitat in Alaska. This region has, at times, supported more than 10 moose per square mile. Recent counts indicate that some areas still contain densities of five moose or more per square mile. As with much of the refuge big game work, these moose counts are cooperative efforts between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Caribou from the migratory Western Arctic Herd, which numbers more than 450,000, often move into the northernmost reaches of the Refuge in winter months in search of lichens that lie beneath the snow. The Koyukuk also supports a resident non-migratory caribou population, the Galena Mountain Herd, which numbers about 300. Wolves, lynx and other furbearers, as well as black and grizzly bears, are found on the Refuge year around.

Please choose durable grounds for your campsite, such as gravel bars, and pack out all your trash. When traveling along the rivers please be respectful of the numerous cabins and fish camps that usually mark private inholdings. To obtain the latest information on conditions we suggest that you check in with the Refuge office before you head out to camp.

Refuge programs are aimed at maintaining areas in their natural state, gathering baseline biological data, maintaining healthy populations of fish and wildlife, and providing information and education to the public. Refuge management is complicated by a matrix of differing land jurisdictions and authorities (federal, state and private), especially near the six villages along or within the Refuge boundaries (Hughes, Huslia, Koyukuk, Nulato, Kaltag and Galena).

The task of monitoring refuge resources extends beyond its borders, and involves many partners, including local village tribal councils, other State and Federal agencies, and research associates in other countries. For example, a decline in the local population of white-fronted geese prompted cooperative studies currently underway in Canada and Mexico, two countries which host these birds and many of the Refuges' other important migratory bird species during parts of their annual life cycles.

Subsistence hunting, gathering and trapping by local residents, mainly Koyukon Athabascan Indians, is the main public use on the refuge complex. Controversies about allocation of fish and game resources (and particularly salmon and moose) among user groups, along with increased commercial guiding and transporting activities for moose hunting, have made dialogue between Refuge staff and the various user groups a priority of the Service. Moose are eagerly sought by locals and visitors alike, and moose management has required increased attention in recent years. In a successful joint effort, multiple user groups and agencies are currently working together to manage moose populations in the Koyukuk Region.

The Refuge strives to maintain the region's natural wildland fire cycle by carefully managing fires near settlements, but allowing nature to take its course in areas where naturally occurring burns pose little hazard to humans or their property.

Special efforts are made to protect the Koyukuk Wilderness, a 400,000 acre congressionally-designated Wilderness Area. The Wilderness includes Three-Day Slough, a popular area for moose hunting, and the unique and fragile ecosystems of the Nogabahara Sand Dunes.