On its journey to the Great Salt Lake, the Bear River’s 350-mile length takes one of the most circuitous river routes in America. Its giant, inverted “U” shape begins in Utah’s Uinta Mountains, then snakes north into Wyoming and Idaho, and back south into Utah to meet the Great Salt Lake.

Here, the marshes at the mouth of the Bear River are among the greatest producers of waterfowl in the country. In the middle of the desert, this freshwater oasis hosts a phenomenal gathering of birds to rest, feed, nest and rear their young. Set aside by the public in 1929 as the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, this area sees more than 200 species and millions of birds throughout the year, much to the delight of visitors.

Now, we have an exciting opportunity to protect additional Bear River marsh land. Western Rivers Conservancy has signed an agreement to purchase 700 acres that will soon be conserved as part of the adjacent 74,000-acre Refuge.

Western Rivers Conservancy will buy the property and place it in permanent conservation stewardship with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which for many years has been trying to acquire this property for the Refuge. The land has rich wetland habitat, open water and upland areas, all important to the life cycle of numerous bird species, from tundra swans to American white pelicans. This acquisition will conserve feeding, nesting and rearing areas for a tremendous array of waterfowl, including ducks, other geese, egrets, avocets and black-necked stilts.

Above: An open-water area of Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. Photo by Kris247