Union Slough NWR

About this Location

Important Bird Area.
In central Kossuth Co. Two miles north of Burt along U.S. 169, take B-14/330th St. east 2.5 miles for viewing of the slough.

About Union Slough NWR

See all hotspots at Union Slough NWR

Union Slough is all that remains of a pre-glacial riverbed. Actually, the area is a connection point, or union, between two watersheds - the Blue Earth River of Minnesota and the east fork of the Des Moines River. Before European settlement, the area was so level that the wind determined which way the slough flowed. Established in 1938 as a migratory waterfowl refuge, Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge provides critical habitat for native prairie and wetland wildlife in a landscape dominated by intensive agriculture.

Features

  • Roadside viewing

  • Entrance fee

Content from Iowa Ornithologists' Union and Union Slough NWR Website

Last updated February 16, 2023