Welcome from the Friends of the Refuge Headwaters
News and Events
Paddle the Mississippi River Backwaters – 8-4
You are invited to join the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge (Refuge) and Friends of the Refuge Headwaters (FORH) on a paddle through the backwaters of the Refuge near Winona, MN. Join fellow paddlers on Thursday, August 4, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. at the Verchota Landing for a two-hour adventure. This paddle…
Read MoreRefuge Updates
A quick reminder about the paddling event on Thursday, July 14 out of the McNally Landing on the Prairie Island Dike (Winona) beginning at 9:30 am. Click here for details. Registration was due by the end of today but as a volunteer you can have until the end of tomorrow to register with Leslie Watson…
Read MorePaddle the Mississippi River Backwaters
You are invited to join the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge (Refuge) and Friends of the Refuge Headwaters (FORH) on a paddle through the backwaters of the Mississippi River near Winona, MN. Join fellow paddlers on Thursday, July 14 at 9:30 a.m. at the McNally Landing for a two-hour adventure. This paddle is recommended…
Read MoreThank You!
We would like to extend a big THANK YOU to Kwik Trip for donating 50 boxed lunches for our June 1, Project COMPASS (Community Education Adult Disability Program) fishing event and picnic that took place on Lake Winona. A thank you is also extended to all the volunteers from the Friends of the Refuge Headwaters…
Read MoreFlowering Rush Control to Begin on Upper Mississippi River
Boaters are asked to avoid specific backwater areas of Upper Mississippi River Pools 4, 5, 7 and 8 during upcoming invasive species control efforts. Beginning the week of June 27, 2022, the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge (Refuge) will be contracting to have the aquatic herbicide Diquat applied to approximately 1,100 acres…
Read MoreNo Fireworks Allowed on the “Upper Miss” Refuge
The 4th of July is just around the corner. If you are heading to the Mississippi River for a boating or camping trip, just a reminder – no fireworks are allowed on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge (Refuge) because of their disturbance to wildlife as well as the litter they leave behind.…
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