Susquehanna River National Wildlife Refuge

Susquehanna River National Wildlife Refuge is a protected nature area at the mouth of the Susquehanna River in Harford County, located on Battery Island. The island provides habitat for multiple wildlife species and forms part of a larger conservation system in the Upper Chesapeake Bay.

The refuge was established in the 1940s through presidential proclamations that restricted hunting of migratory waterfowl in the Upper Chesapeake Bay. The construction of Conowingo Dam later altered the ecological conditions of the area.

The area functions as an educational resource for local communities, offering insights into wildlife conservation and natural resource management.

The island itself is not open to public access, but observation is possible from the water. The best time to visit is during waterfowl migration seasons when wildlife activity is highest.

The area once hosted massive flocks of canvasback and redhead ducks before dam construction changed fish and aquatic plant populations. This shift in food sources caused dramatic declines in these migratory bird populations.