Years ago, when I visited the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge for the first time, a staff member told me to keep my eyes open because even though it might look like nothing is out there, I was actually surrounded by wildlife.
He was so right.
Located about 15 miles northeast of Fallon, the 163,000-acre refuge is, in fact, home to hundreds of migrating bird species and other wildlife.
Perched on the southern edge of the Carson Sink, adjacent to the Stillwater Range, the refuge is a collection of shallow lakes, canals and marshes that play host to a wide variety of plant, bird and animal life.
Stillwater traces its beginnings to prehistoric Lake Lahontan, a gigantic body of water created by melting glaciers that filled the valleys of Western Nevada about 12,000 years ago.
Over the centuries, as the climate changed and grew warmer, the lake gradually receded. The Stillwater Marsh is one of the remnants of the ancient lake.
In more recent times, the marsh was home to the Toidikadi or Cattail-Eater Paiutes, who for many centuries hunted and fished in the area. The first non-Native Americans, arriving in Western Nevada in the mid-19th century, describe deep-water marshlands filled with abundant birds and fish.
Construction of the Newlands Project in the early 20th century, however, diverted much of the Carson River water that once flowed into the marshes. In the 1940s, the federal government became so concerned that Stillwater might cease to exist that it began managing the flow of water to the marshes to ensure their survival.
The Stillwater Refuge complex encompasses not only the Stillwater Marsh but also a smaller sanctuary to the north called the Fallon Refuge, and the Anaho Island Refuge, located at Pyramid Lake, north of Reno.
First time visitors to Stillwater should stop at the refuge headquarters at the entrance to pick up useful information brochures and to ask for advice on how best to view the area.
Just beyond the headquarters is an elevated platform that offers prime views of Stillwater Point Reservoir, an adjacent shallow body of water lined with tall, thick tule reeds and grasses. From the platform, visitors can see several dozen birds flitting around in the reservoir, ranging from egrets to terns.
A marked, gravel Automobile Tour Loop takes visitors from the elevated platform to the Foxtail and Upper Foxtail lakes. Along the way, visitors can spot more birds, with the type depending on the season. For example, in the summer it’s easy to encounter Ruddy ducks, Herons, Marsh wrens, grebes and egrets—as well as swimming muskrats.
The refuge is home to more than 280 different bird species and an estimated quarter-million waterfowl pass through the area annually.
Another good place to stop off the loop drive and enjoy the environment is Foxtail Lake, where a boardwalk takes visitors through clusters of cattails and high grasses to the edge of the lake and offers great views.
The refuge also offers two areas where overnight parking and camping are allowed, the Lead Lake Road-Center Road Intersection and on East Division at Nutgrass Road (check with the headquarters for details), but no campfires.
The best time of year to see the most species of birds is spring, when the marshlands are the wettest because of winter snowmelt, and the birds are migrating.
Additionally, guided tours for groups are available with advance notice. For more information, contact the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge, 13303 Stillwater Road, Fallon, 775-423-5128 or go to: www.fws.gov/refuge/stillwater.
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