Recent Lakes Support Wildlife


Native Americans lived on this arid land for centuries. There was only an intermittent creek when the Columbia Salish Indians first used this area. While the seasonal scarcity of game in the desert environment discouraged them from establishing permanent camps, they did travel through the area as they followed Crab Creek to their fishing areas along the Columbia River. Waterfowl use was also confined to areas along the Columbia River.


Early Grazing

During the 1860's cattle were brought into the area and the land soon was overgrazed. When the grass condition became too poor for cattle, sheep were introduced. By the turn of the century, the sheep, plus the 3,000 feral [wild] horses which ranged along Crab Creek from off the Saddle Mountains, had taken a heavy toll on the land. Still more land was laid waste through unsuccessful farming attempts by early settles.


Grand Coulee

Early irrigation efforts in the refuge area encouraged some farmers but failed when local water supplies proved inadequate. Serious planning to irrigate the Columbia Basin on a large scale began in 1918 and hinged on construction of a dam on the Columbia River at Grand Coulee. After years of study and debate, the Columbia Basin Project was approved and construction of Grand Coulee Dam began in 1934. On August 10, 1951, the first irrigation water began flowing to Columbia Basin farmlands. Columbia National Wildlife Refuge was established in conjunction with the irrigation project in 1944 and has been actively managed since 1955.


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Farm Food

Around the refuge, dryland wheat areas and many acres of sagebrush grasslands were soon converted to a wide variety of irrigated crops. Many of these crops, particularly corn, provided abundant food for ducks and geese. The agricultural development, together with the numerous water areas, combined each year to provide ideal feeding and resting areas for many thousands of migrating and wintering waterfowl.