Quivira National Wildlife Refuge Auto Tour Guide
(Watch for Yellow Numbered Signs on Green Posts
as shown in purple on map).
1. Quivira National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The USFWS is an agency of the federal government within the Department of the Interior.
Quivira is one of over 500 National Wildlife Refuges, covering 92 million acres in all 50 states and territories. Quivira was established in 1955, to provide wintering habitat and a migration stop for migratory birds moving up and down the Central Flyway. In 1998, Quivira reached its present size of 22,135 acres, a medium size for the refuge system, which contains refuges as large as the 19.2 million acre Artic NWR (Alaska) and as small as the half-acre Mille Lacs NWR (Minnesota).
An Interpretive foot trail is located on the west side of the Visitors parking lot. This is a short, 1,000 feet concrete trail that is wheelchair accessible. This trail, named the “ Birdhouse Boulevard ”, is bordered by numerous birdhouses and feeders that you may wish to construct and place in your own yard. Be sure to visit this trail before you leave Quivira.
2. Looking west (left side) from this location you can see the Little Salt Marsh. This 900 acre wetland is the main water storage basin of the Refuge. Water is the life’s blood of Quivira and Rattlesnake Creek, our main artery. Rattlesnake Creek starts far west of the Refuge near the town of Greensburg , in Kiowa County .
Water enters Quivira through Rattlesnake Creek into the Little Salt Marsh. From here the water is moved through over 80 water control structures and 21 miles of canals to fill the 34 managed wetland units on the Refuge. Quivira’s approximately 7,000 surface acres of water provide habitat for the wildlife using the Refuge.
3. The information kiosk (right side) describes some of the history of Quivira. You may wish to view this kiosk. Quivira was named after a tribe of Indians that were living in this area when the Spanish explorer, Coronado, visited in 1541. Coronado was leading an expedition in quest of treasures and the fabled “Seven Cities of Cibola ”, reputed to contain great riches. Instead of gold, Coronado found fertile grasslands. Early white men used the salt marshes for “market hunting” (killing the ducks, geese, and shorebirds and selling them to restaurants back east). They could shoot the birds, use the salt they found on the ground, and package the birds for shipment, all in one area.
Following the decline of market hunting, the lands and marshes of Quivira were acquired by private hunting clubs to provide exclusive hunting rights for their members only. Over a dozen clubs owned portions of the marshes. Disagreements arose between the members, clubs, and surrounding landowners. Others were able to see the value of the area as a National Wildlife Refuge.
On May 3, 1955 , the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission approved the establishment of the Quivira NWR and the rest is history.
4. You are about to cross one of the two spillways designed to carry flood waters out of the Little Salt Marsh and eastward to the Arkansas River . In 1973, a major flood did extensive damage to Refuge facilities. These spillways were designed following this flood to handle future floods. In 1993, the spillways were put to the test, when another major flood hit Quivira.
Rattlesnake Creek generally flows at a rate of 20-40 cubic feet per second during the summer months. In July 1993, flood waters were entering the Salt Marsh at over 15,000 cubic feet per second. These spillways were flowing with water over two feet deep, preventing damage to other Refuge structures.
5. This is one of the over 80 water control structures on the Refuge. By adjustments to the structure gates, water can be moved throughout the Refuge canal system to flood the major units. Because of reduced flows in Rattlesnake Creek, resulting from development within the watershed, the Refuge must conserve water during spring high flows to last throughout the dry Kansas summers.
6. Agricultural crops are planted on Quivira in cooperation with local farmers, who work on a share basis. Over 1,300 acres are planted to crops to provide food for the migrating birds and the resident wildlife that use the Refuge throughout the year. The crops are rotated between winter wheat and milo, with cow-peas being planted periodically to enrich the soil. All farming on Quivira is done without the use of chemical pesticides that could harm the wildlife.
Farmers get 2/3 share of the milo, while leaving the Refuge share standing in the field as wildlife food. Wheat is on a ¾-¼ share because the farmers are required to harvest the Refuge share of the crop. Geese prefer the clean wheat stubble field and the growing green wheat, to crops left standing that might hide predators.
7. The timber area to the west is part of an old “tree claim”. Following the Homestead Act of 1862, settlers could claim a quarter section (160 acres) of free land by living on the property and making certain improvements. They could secure an additional quarter section as a “tree claim” by planting and tending ten acres of trees on the new quarter, not an easy task in the drought prone prairie.
Sources of trees for planting were limited on the vast grasslands, and trees were brought from as far away as Medicine Lodge, KS (75 miles to the south). This was a rather long trip in the days when a horse and wagon was the main form of transportation.
8. This is the start of the “Migrants Mile” interpretive trail, named for both the human and wildlife migrants that have crossed the Refuge. This trail winds through shaded woodlands, along marshy edges ad through native grasslands before returning to this spot. The 1.2 mile trail contains a ¾ mile loop that is surfaced and wheel chair accessible. The trail crosses several marsh areas on elevated wooden boardwalks. One board walk is 335 ft. in length with a central deck area where you can stop for a close-up view of the marsh.
9. The building on the west side of the road is the former Refuge headquarters and shop. These facilities were moved to their present location because of a lack of suitable water at this site. This building has been converted to an environmental education classroom with accessible restroom facilities. This facility is available on a reservation basis for school groups and organizations.
The south portion of the building is now the Refuge bunkhouse, used to house visiting researchers, firefighters, and interns. This bunkhouse is also available for schools and organized groups that might be volunteering time on the Refuge or extending their environmental education trip for an overnight stay.
10. This bridge crosses over the Rattlesnake Creek, as it continues its journey through the Refuge. Approximately 3 miles north, the Rattlesnake enters Salt Creek for its final push to the Arkansas River .
The wetland to the east is called Park Smith Lake , named for the former owner of this marsh.
11. The largest habitat type on Quivira is the grassland. The Refuge contains over 13,000 acres of grassland. Some of the grasslands are native sod that have not been disturbed by man, while other areas have been disturbed and re-seeded to native grasses. Still other areas were once part of unsuccessful attempts at farming and have been allowed to “go back” to the native species.
Grass is a crop, just as corn or wheat are crops, and must be managed to be productive. Grassland management on Quivira allows a historic pattern of grazing and burning that was developed before the entrance of man into the area.
Historically, great herds of bison grazed the grasslands, grazing in an area for a short time and constantly moving across the prairie. They seldom over grazed an area, moving on before the grass plants were stressed. Quivira uses a system of management called high intensity/short duration grazing, which attempts to duplicate that pattern. The bison have been replaced by cattle, which belong to local ranchers who are permitted to graze livestock on Quivira.
Large grassland units are broken into small areas called “cells”, and these are grazed with a large number of cattle for a very short period of time. Cattle may stay in one cell only a day or two, but seldom more than a week, before being moved. They may not return to that cell for several months, if at all during the season. This allows the plants to recover, increases their productivity, provides excellent wildlife habitat and follows the historic scheme.
12. This bridge also crosses Rattlesnake Creek which enters Salt Creek approximately ½ mile north of this site.
13. This is the start of the Quivira Wildlife Drive , a four mile loop on elevated dikes, which affords some of the best wildlife viewing areas on the Refuge. Travel slowly, keep the noise level down, be observant, and enjoy the wildlife. The birds are accustomed to vehicles and will generally be less disturbed if you remain in your car.
An excellent viewing time is early morning, just after sunrise, before the birds go out into surrounding fields to feed. Viewing is also good just before sunset as the birds return to roost on the marsh.
For waterfowl, the spring migration is most visible from mid-February through March, while the fall migration generally starts in mid-September and continues through November and even December when the weather stays fair. Up to 500,000 ducks and geese and 200,000 sandhill cranes may use Quivira during their migrations.
Fire was also a historic factor that shaped the grasslands, whether caused by lightning or later by Indian hunting parties to improve an area and attract game. Prescribed fires are used on Quivira, under very controlled conditions, to remove old vegetation, release stored nutrients, and stimulate new growth.
14. At this site, the 1,500 acre Big Salt Marsh stretches out south of the Wildlife Drive . The smaller wetland unit to the East is Unit 58.
The Big Salt Marsh is not very deep, approximately 4-5 feet when full. The salt comes from groundwater, traveling to the surface after crossing through salt layers, deep within the earth. As the water in the Big Salt Marsh evaporates, during the dry summer months, the salt concentration rises. In 1991, when drought reduced the Big Salt Marsh to only about 20 acres in size, the salt concentration in the remaining water was measured at three times that of seawater.
15. This is one of the favorite wildlife viewing spots on the Refuge. With the Big Salt Marsh spreading out before you, during migrations, the waterfowl viewing can be spectacular! The shallow west edge of the Big Salt Marsh is a favorite area for sandhill cranes that use Quivira. Up to 200,000 sandhill cranes have been recorded using this area during their fall migration. These birds can be easily seen using the spotting scope found here.
Quivira is critical habitat for several endangered or threatened species. Bald eagles, a threatened species, can often be seen from this spot, feeding on the weak in the waterfowl flocks.
Whooping cranes, an endangered species once reduced to only 16 individuals during the 1940’s, also use the habitat on Quivira. The whooping crane spring migration generally occurs in mid-March to mid-April. The cranes move through quickly in the spring, often only staying overnight as the breeding urge pushes them northward. In the fall migration, usually during October, the whoopers may spend up to two weeks on the Refuge, going slower as the young of the year make their first trip south. The west edge of the Big Salt Marsh is one of their favorite roosting areas. Up to 19 whooping cranes, out of wild population of approximately 175, have been recorded using this area at one time.
16. The salt flats north of the road are very important to another endangered species, the Interior Least Tern. The least terns are endangered because of loss of their breeding habitat of un-vegetated beaches and sandbars in rivers. These areas were historically kept vegetation free by spring floods that occurred normally. Man controlled that flooding and as a result the vegetation encroached on the beaches and sandbars, forcing out the least terns. Quivira is fortunate to have a colony of these terns who use the salt flats. Management of this area has been a little unique to accommodate the nesting terns.
One of the problems the least terns encountered in attempting to live on the flats was periodic flooding of their nests. An inch of rain would often be enough to flood out the nests, which were in small scraped out depressions on the ground. To eliminate this problem, the Refuge, with the aid of volunteers, constructed small mounds of rock and gravel as nest platforms to elevate the nests above the surface of most flooding. These small mounds are visible on the flats north of the road.
Coyotes, a common predator on Quivira, quickly discovered that the pads contained an egg meal on top, and something had to be done to prevent the destruction. An electric fence was constructed around the tern pad area in the hopes of keeping out the coyotes. Unfortunately, as with any electric fence, when an animal runs into the fence, you have about a 50:50 chance of the animal bouncing back from the fence or bounding through. One coyote hit the fence but continued on and destroyed 17 nests in one night.
To slow the coyotes and train them to avoid the fenced area, a scheme was devised. The fence is erected early in the spring, before the terns arrive. A very smelly mixture of cat food, dog food, and cooking oil is spread on the electric wires with a paint roller. Now, instead of running through the fence, they stop and cautiously approach the fence to smell this mixture. Envision a coyote standing on wet ground, sticking his wet nose on an electric wire to get a sniff and you can imagine the results. Prior to the pads and fence, production in the tern colony was down to only two chicks reaching flight stage. Following the nest pad and fence construction, that production rose to a fledging rate of 36 young to flight.
17. The salt flats on the north side of the road are very important habitat for the thousands of shorebirds that use Quivira. The major shorebird migration occurs from May through mid-June in the spring and August through mid-September in the fall.
As the wind blows, the shallow water on these flats moves around on the ground surface. As this water moves and shifts due to changing wind directions, it exposes new feeding areas to the shorebirds.
THIS CONCLUDES THE REFUGE TOUR.
FEEL FREE TO RETRACE YOUR ROUTE BACK TO HEADQUARTERS
TO VIEW THE WILDLIFE EXHIBITS OR WALK THE "BIRDHOUSE BOULEVARD"
NATURE TRAIL FOR A LITTLE FRESH AIR AND EXERCISE.
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE REFUGE IS "HOME" TO THE WILDLIFE AND TO
TREAT THEIR HOME WITH RESPECT. THE REFUGE STAFF HOPES THAT YOU
ENJOY YOUR VISIT AND WILL RETURN SOON AND OFTEN.