Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge
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| Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
  | |
| Location | Phillips County, Montana, USA |
| Nearest city | Malta, MT |
| Coordinates | 48°24′08″N 107°39′47″W / 48.40222°N 107.66306°W[1] |
| Area | 15,551 acres (62.93 km2) |
| Established | 1936 |
| Visitors | 25,000 estimated (in 2013) |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge |
Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge is a 15,551-acre (6,293 ha) National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) located in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Montana.[2] The refuge is 7 mi (11 km) northeast of Malta, Montana in the Milk River Valley and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.[3]
Bowdoin NWR was previously managed as part of irrigation efforts by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to conserve water that would flow into Lake Bowdoin. The seasonal floods from spring snow melt created excellent habitat for migratory and nesting waterfowl as well as raptors such as the bald eagle and peregrine falcon.[3][4] Lake Bowdoin is on both the Central and Pacific Flyways used by migratory birds and was well known by locals and naturalists as having the largest numbers of migratory birds in Montana. In an effort to better protect the habitat, Lake Bowdoin and the surrounding region were set aside as a refuge in 1936 and administration passed to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.[4]
