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J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge

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1935 established. Souris River basin from the Canadian border to McHenry County
  • (Photograph by Steve C. Martens)
  • CCC camp site (Photograph by Steve C. Martens)

This 58,700-acre refuge extends approximately 45 miles along the Souris River. The refuge is named for Missouri native J. Clark Salyer, chief of the Division of Wildlife Refuges in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1934 to 1961. From 1933 to 1936, CCC Company #766 (Camp BF-4) constructed a large dam at Westhope and conducted a biological survey of waterfowl on the Souris River basin to investigate how to mitigate the effects of drought, soil erosion, and degradation of wildlife habitat. Restoration of these disturbed wetlands and drainage basins then began with CCC workers building dikes and water control structures to restore waterfowl habitat and enhance marshes. This enormous undertaking involved thousands of hours of hand labor, but produced dramatic environmental rehabilitation. The CCC camp site near Kramer is commemorated with a stone monument and bronze plaque dedicated to the CCC crews.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Steve C. Martens and Ronald H. L. M. Ramsay
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Data

Citation

Steve C. Martens and Ronald H. L. M. Ramsay, "J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge", [Kramer, North Dakota], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/ND-01-BU1.

Print Source

Cover: Buildings of North Dakota

Buildings of North Dakota, Steve C. Martens and Ronald H. L. M. Ramsay. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2015, 125-125.

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