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Idaho
12

State of Idaho Parks

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USA Parks
Idaho
Southwest Region
Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge
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Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge Smart weeds at Deer Flats © Louis Ruth
The Spring colors at Deer Flats Refuge are beautiful in the Springtime. The smart weeds that grow upward from the lake show off their pink tops in the Spring.
Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge Deer Flats and Lake Lowell © Louis Ruth
Deer Flats wildlife Refuge sits on Lake Lowell. Seen here is the high water levels during the morning hours.
Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge Deer Flats at Lake Lowell © Louis Ruth
Seen here are the Owyhee hills, farms lands of Nampa and the rippled water of Lake Lowell.
Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge © Gary OToole
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DEER FLAT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
DEER FLAT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge
Nampa, Idaho   83686
Nestled in the rolling sagebrush hills of southwest Idaho, the watery oasis at Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge provides an important breeding area for birds and mammals, as well as other wildlife. The refuge is also a significant resting and wintering area for birds migrating along the Pacific Flyway, including spectacular concentrations of mallards and Canada geese. Because of it's value to birds, Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge has been declared a Globally Important Bird Area by the American Bird Conservancy.

Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge has two sectors?Lake Lowell and the Snake River Islands. The Lake Lowell sector encompasses 10,588 acres, including the almost 9,000-acre Lake Lowell and surrounding lands. The Snake River Islands sector contains about 800 acres on 101 islands. These islands are distributed along 113 river miles from the Canyon-Ada County Line in Idaho, to Farewell Bend in Oregon.

Several refuge islands in the Snake RiverThe refuge protects a wide range of wildlife habitats: from the open waters and wetland edges of Lake Lowell, to the sagebrush uplands around the lake, to the grasslands and riparian forests on the Snake River islands. Refuge staff use a variety of wildlife management techniques to create and maintain wildlife habitat. With assistance from local growers, the refuge also cooperatively farms 240 acres to provide food for wildlife.

Deer Flat, founded by President Teddy Roosevelt on February 25, 1909, is one of the oldest refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System, which now includes 540 refuges. The NWRS celebrated it's centennial in March of 2003. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the System preserves a network of lands and waters set aside for the conservation and management of the nation's fish, wildlife, and plant resources for the benefit of present and future generations.
FACILITIES AND ACTIVITIES OVERVIEW
Day-UseFishingyes
 Huntingyes
 Hiking Trailyes


Location
Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge is located near Kuna, Nampa and Boise


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Directions
Take Exit 35 off of I-84.

Turn north onto Nampa Boulevard towards the sugar factory and drive about 1/2 mile to the light at Karcher Road (ID Highway 55).

Turn left onto Karcher Road and drive about 4 miles to Lake Avenue.

Turn left onto Lake Avenue and drive about 3 miles to the dam.

Follow the road to the left and make a hard right turn onto the dam, following signs to the Visitor Center.

Drive across the dam and up the hill to the Visitor Center parking lot.

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Idaho
12

State of Idaho Parks

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