100 years after its creation, national Mississippi River refuge faces new, old challenges

The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge celebrated 100 years of operation in 2024.

The refuge covers much of Wisconsin’s portion of the Mississippi River, starting just south of Lake Pepin and extending past Wisconsin’s southern border to Rock Island, Illinois.

The national effort to protect the river in the 1920s came in response to the threat of development, as some residents looked to drain backwater areas to create more farmland. Led by Chicago businessman Will Dilg, it became the largest citizens movement to protect public lands seen at the time, according to refuge historians...