This is a good place to scan for winter gulls such as Glaucous Gull.

The entire area is important as a resting area for large concentrations of migrating waterfowl, gulls, and shorebirds. The area is also critical as a wintering area for large numbers of Bald Eagles. Nesting birds include Bobolink, Cerulean Warbler, Black-billed Cuckoo, Wood Thrush, and in some years Kentucky Warbler.

The Red Rock Dam is about five miles southwest of Pella; the refuge area extends northwest beyond Runnells in Polk County to near Hartford in Warren County.