Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge is located in central New York State
in the State's picturesque Finger Lakes Region. It is located at the
north end of Cayuga, one of the larger Finger Lakes. Montezuma NWR provides
an important resting, feeding, and nesting area for waterfowl and other
migratory birds due to its position in the middle of one of the most
active flight paths of the Atlantic Flyway. The large wetland at the
end of the lake was first altered in 1826 with the construction of parts
of the Erie Canal. This did not materially affect the Marsh until the
Erie became the larger Barge Canal in 1910. Large parts of the original
Marsh drained into the canal and muckland was opened to farming. Purchase
of remaining Marsh began in 1937 by the Biological Survey, the forerunner
of the Fish and Wildlife Service. Marsh areas were restored by the construction
of low dikes by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Today, over 7,068 acres
of wetlands have been restored on the refuge. An ambitious plan is now
underway that will eventually restore even more of the original 40,000
acre wetland complex. A cooperative effort by the Fish and Wildlife
Service, the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation, and
Ducks Unlimited is mapping out a strategy that will combine federal,
state, and private lands in a much larger wetland and grassland complex
designed to enhance the wildlife resources of the area. There are currently
two bald eagle nests on the refuge, and at least 5 pairs of Osprey within
the refuge and nearby wetland environs. Link
to the refuge website.
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