Presidents Day is celebrated in the United States on the third Monday of February.  In Klamath Falls, Oregon, that entire weekend is dedicated to the Winter Wings Festival and birds . . .

The Nation’s First Waterfowl Refuge As the above map shows, there are six National Wildlife Refuges in the Klamath Basin. The Lower Klamath Refuge was the first to be designated, in 1908, and also the first in the United States intended to provide refuge to waterfowl. Physically, the refuge is flat.  Before human modification, this […]

Exploring the Refuge . . . For a short orientation (with a map) to the Tule Lake Refuge and the other refuges in the Klamath Basin system, check out the article entitled “Wildlife Refuges of the Klamath Basin.” The Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge offers explorers six opportunities: a great little visitor center at the […]

Like many places around the world, wetlands in the Upper Klamath Basin were drained to provide croplands for a hungry nation. Here, the United States Bureau of Reclamation began the process in 1905 with an effort called the Klamath Reclamation Project.  The needs of  waterfowl were recognized early on with the establishment of the first […]

Hagelstein County Park . . . Hagelstein Park is about 10 miles north of Klamath Falls, Oregon on the east side of US-97.   The 5-acre park offers modern restrooms (although they were out of order at the time of my visit), drinking water, 10 camping spots and boat access to Upper Klamath Lake, all adjacent […]