Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge

National Wildlife Refuges: Gifts to Our Children’s Children

In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt designated Florida’s 5.5 acre Pelican Island as this country’s first national wildlife refuge. That historic event marked the launch of the National Wildlife Refuge System, which conserves wildlife and habitat for people today and for generations to come. Today, the Refuge System includes more than 550 refuges across the country.

Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge was established using proceeds from the sale of Federal Duck Stamps. Ninety-eight cents out of every dollar generated by the sale of Federal Duck Stamps go directly to the purchase or lease of wetland habitat for protection in the Refuge System. Visitors are welcome on Refuge lands, but the needs of wildlife must come first.

Welcome to Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge

Located on the southern extreme of the Great Salt Lake Desert, Fish Springs has been a place of essential importance in supporting the needs of humans and wildlife over the past 10,000 years. The life-sustaining spring-fed waters make Fish Springs a true oasis in the desert.

Fish Springs National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1959 to benefit migratory birds, with habitat management focused on the needs of nesting and resting waterfowl. Today, the Refuge provides managed wetland habitats for a wider diversity of species, with priority given to a variety of migratory birds, including marsh birds, shorebirds, and waterfowl.