Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
An entrance sign marker at Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge
Map of the United States
Location	Big Stone County, Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota, United States
Nearest city	Ortonville, Minnesota
Coordinates	45°14′31″N 96°20′49″W / 45.242°N 96.347°W / 45.242; -96.347[1]
Area	11,586 acres (46.89 km2)
Established	1975
Governing body	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Website	Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

Straddling the headwaters of the Minnesota River in west-central Minnesota, Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge is within the heart of the tallgrass prairie's historic range. Today, less than one-percent of tallgrass prairie remains.

Big Stone Refuge serves as the "keeper of the prairie" by working to maintain and restore native prairie habitat while providing optimum nesting cover for waterfowl and other grassland nesting birds. The refuge contains 11,521 acres (46.62 km²): 1,028 acres in Big Stone County and 10,493 acres (42.46 km²) in Lac qui Parle County. The refuge is located in Minnesota's 7th congressional district.

The primary refuge purposes stated in authorizing documents are flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife conservation. The refuge's principal objective is to provide optimum nesting cover for ground-nesting waterfowl production.