Swan River National Wildlife Refuge, Wildlife refuge in Lake County, Montana, United States.
Swan River National Wildlife Refuge covers 1,778 acres of Swan River floodplain in Lake County, northwestern Montana, at an elevation of 938 metres. The river now runs along the western part of the refuge after silt buildup shifted its channel. The tract lies in a valley below Con Kelley Mountain and borders Swan Lake.
The refuge was established in 1973 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect critical habitats for native waterfowl species. This designation reflected broader efforts to conserve wetland ecosystems throughout the Montana region.
The refuge lies in the Swan Valley, where the river has shifted to the western sections of the floodplain because of silt buildup, leaving older channels as wetland. It is a unit of the National Bison Range Complex, and 171 bird species have been recorded here, among them teals, great blue heron and a pair of nesting bald eagles drawn by the fish in the Swan River.
The refuge lies in the Swan Valley, with the river now running along its western sections after silt buildup shifted the channel. The surrounding terrain rises toward Con Kelley Mountain, 2,153 metres high and about 8 km to the southwest. The nearest town is Woods Bay, roughly 18 km to the northeast.
The river no longer runs through most of the refuge: silt buildup pushed the Swan River into the western sections, leaving the old channel as floodplain. The 1,778-acre site lies at 938 m by Swan Lake, and Con Kelley Mountain rises 2,153 m about 8 km to the southwest.
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