Mississippi River refuge near Onalaska marks 100-year history this weekend

An area nature refuge is getting ready to celebrate its 100th anniversary with a public event near Onalaska this weekend.

The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge was founded in 1924, to protect the river habitat. There will be an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the visitor center (map), along with activities at the Fred Funk boat landing (map). It will feature barge tours, as well as nature and history exhibits.

“It’s pretty neat to see all these people out fishing today, and really enjoying it,” Hallie Schulz, the refuge visitor services manager, said. “I always like to say that this is your national wildlife refuge, this is your public land, so come out and enjoy it.”

Schulz and other staffers at the refuge led area reporters on a boat tour in the Lake Onalaska area Tuesday, to promote the centennial events.

In 1923, outdoorsman Will Dilg learned of plans to drain some of the river backwaters for land use, possibly for farming. He headed an effort to create a federal refuge. Congress passed a refuge act on June 7, 1924, largely due to Dilg’s activism.

Schulz said Lake Onalaska is a very popular eating and nesting area for eagles, pelicans and other birds.

“The refuge is like their restaurant,” she said. “It’s really a special place.”

The refuge is 261 miles long, from Wabasha, Minn., south to Rock Island, Ill.

Tour guides said that at one point in the 1970s, before the use of DDT was discontinued, just one eagles nest could be found in the refuge area. Now, they count over 300 eagle nests there.

The boat tour was launched from the Fred Funk landing near Onalaska, which honors a local conservationist. Funk’s son Fritz Funk piloted the boat for the special trip.

“Dad was involved in a lot of conservation advocacy issues on the river,” Fritz Funk said. “He didn’t actually like the attention, didn’t really want something named after him, but after he passed away, people came up with the idea, and then the family thought, you know, boat landing? He’d be okay with that.”