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Fox Island Habitat Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project

Rock Island District

Description

The Fox Island project area is located along the right descending bank of the Upper Mississippi River immediately downstream of Alexandria in the southeast corner of Clark County, Missouri. The Fox Island Division (Division) lands are owned in fee title and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the Great River National Wildlife Refuge. The Division is comprised of over 2,000 acres of land and water within the Mississippi River floodplain.

Fox Island is former agricultural land that was purchased following the 1993 flood to increase river connectivity and wildlife habitat in the floodplain. Hundreds of acres of higher-elevation former cropland are suitable for planting hard mast trees and native grassland species. Lack of ability to control water levels limits the quality of wetland wildlife habitat on the Division. The extent and quality of forests, wetlands, and grasslands along the Mississippi River has been steadily declining over the years. The proposed project area has historically provided substantial benefits to waterfowl and other wetland wildlife. Sedimentation has reduced wetland depths to the point where they are dry most of the year.

This project would allow full development and management potential of the Fox Island Division. The mosaic of a large tract of bottomland forest, enhanced wetlands, and restored grasslands would provide significant habitat benefits to a wide variety of important wildlife species.

Quick Facts

  • State(s) Covered: Missouri
  • Land Ownership: USFWS
  • Management Agency: USFWS
  • Management Authority: Refuge