Written by John Fitzroy, Visitor Services Manager at Tule Lake NWR
Map above from Intermountain West Joint Venture

The early 1900s brought serious threats to wetlands in the Intermountain West. Amid this uncertainty, conservationist William L. Finley led efforts to protect wetland habitat critical to North America’s migratory birds. His regional vision, which recognized the deep connections between landscapes, watersheds, and wildlife, helped establish both Lower Klamath and Malheur National Wildlife Refuges within the same year, preserving key wetland areas in southern Oregon and northern California.

Today the SONEC region—southern Oregon, northeastern California, and northwestern Nevada remains a critical migratory hub, supporting about 70% of the Pacific Flyway’s waterfowl. Fueled by spring snowmelt, its wetlands flood seasonally, providing essential stopover habitat for millions of birds in the Harney Basin, the Klamath Basins, Spring Valley, and the Modoc Plateau, each National Wildlife Refuge in the region shares a unified mission: to protect and manage habitat for migratory birds.

As drought intensifies and climate change accelerates, wetlands and agricultural systems across the West face growing threats from water scarcity. National Wildlife Refuges cannot meet these challenges alone. Working in isolation limits their impact and weakens the resilience of entire landscapes. To protect water resources, wetland function, and the migratory routes birds rely on, conservation must be built on collaboration coordinated management and strong partnerships.

In the semi-arid Great Basin, wetlands make up just 1–3% of the landscape—but they are everything to the wildlife that rely on them. Just as William Finley understood more than a century ago, we must act boldly and collectively to protect these precious resources. Thinking regionally isn’t just good conservation policy—it’s the only way forward.

Watch for future articles about Malheur’s Neighbors including Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Complex including Klamath Marsh, Upper Klamath Lake, Lower Klamath Lake, Tule Lake, Bear Valley, and Clear Lake National Wildlife Refuges. These articles will feature management and recreational topics.