Quivira NWR: An Abundance of Diversity

About forty minutes south of Great Bend is over 20,000 acres in the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, which has been accorded international recognition and offers as much diversity as Cheyenne Bottoms. It is comprised of prairie grasses, salt marches, sand dunes, canals, dikes, and timber. Quivira is named for a tribe of Indians who were visited by Coronado in 1541. A system of 21 miles of canals and 25 miles of dikes provides nearly 6,000 acres of managed wetlands and marshes. Little Salt Marsh and Big Salt Marsh are ancient basins that have seen hundreds of thousands of waterfowl arriving for food, cover, and a place to rest on migration trips. During spring migration Quivira NWR becomes a staging area for 500,000 birds.

Mammals also prosper here and enjoy protection, food, and a quiet lifestyle. Reptiles and amphibians abound along with resident bird species and those passing through to complete cycles of life.

Quivira is a quiet, almost-never-see-a-human experience enjoyed by naturalists, photographers, and wildlife lovers.

For the Quivira Auto Tour Guide & Map click HERE

For additional information on Quivira, contact:

Refuge Manager
Rt. 3, Box 48A
Stafford, KS 67578
(620) 486-2393
e-mail: r6rw_qvr@ fws.gov

Or visit the following websites:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Friends of Quivira

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