Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge is located on the east slope of the Cascade Mountains at the base of 12281 feet (3,743.2 m) Mount Adams
in southern Washington state.
It currently encompasses over 7069 acres (2,860.7 ha) on the lakebeds of the historic of Conboy and Camas lakes, a shallow marshy wetland
area drained by early settlers. Conifer forests, grassland
s, shallow wetland
s, and deep water provide homes for deer
, elk
, beaver
, coyote
, otter
, small rodent
s, and 150 species of birds, as well as numerous amphibians, reptiles, and fish.
Bald Eagle
, Greater Sandhill Crane
, and the Oregon spotted frog
are species of concern
. Refuge visitors enjoy the scenery, hike the Willard Springs trail, and observe wildlife from the county roads that surround and cross the refuge.
Each spring, juvenile sandhill cranes, called colts, can be observed from near the refuge headquarters and from the nearby roads. When the birds are very young they are difficult to see because the adult birds try to hide their offspring from predators. Visitors are encouraged to observe form a distance and in such a way that their presents does the threaten the survival of the birds.
Mount Adams (Washington)
Mount Adams is a potentially activestratovolcano in the Cascade Range and the second-highest mountain in the U.S. state of Washington.Adams is a member of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, and is one of the arc's largest volcanoes,...
in southern Washington state.
It currently encompasses over 7069 acres (2,860.7 ha) on the lakebeds of the historic of Conboy and Camas lakes, a shallow marshy wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
area drained by early settlers. Conifer forests, grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s, shallow wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
s, and deep water provide homes for deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
, coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
, otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
, small rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s, and 150 species of birds, as well as numerous amphibians, reptiles, and fish.
Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
, Greater Sandhill Crane
Sandhill Crane
The Sandhill Crane is a large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird references habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills in the American Midwest...
, and the Oregon spotted frog
Oregon spotted frog
The Oregon spotted frog is a member of the true frogs from the family Ranidae.-Description:The Oregon spotted frog reaches a length of to . Females are slightly larger than males. These frogs range in color from green to reddish-brown and have black spots on the head and back...
are species of concern
Species of Concern
In wildlife conservation, Species of Concern is an informal term, not defined in the federal Endangered Species Act. The term commonly refers to species that are declining or appear to be in need of concentrated conservation actions. Many agencies and organizations maintain lists of these at-risk...
. Refuge visitors enjoy the scenery, hike the Willard Springs trail, and observe wildlife from the county roads that surround and cross the refuge.
Each spring, juvenile sandhill cranes, called colts, can be observed from near the refuge headquarters and from the nearby roads. When the birds are very young they are difficult to see because the adult birds try to hide their offspring from predators. Visitors are encouraged to observe form a distance and in such a way that their presents does the threaten the survival of the birds.