Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge

Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge is located in the fertile Willamette Valley of northwestern Oregon, 12 miles (19 km) south of Salem. The valley was once a rich mix of wildlife habitats. Valley wetlands were once extensive, with meandering stream channels and vast seasonal marshes. Today, the valley is a mix of farmland and growing cities, with few areas remaining for wildlife.The refuge is situated in open farmland near the confluence of the Santiam and Willamette rivers in the middle of the broad Willamette Valley. Elevations range between 180 and 290 feet (55 to 90 m) MSL. The Willamette Valley, with its mild, rainy winter climate, is an ideal environment for wintering waterfowl. The refuge consists of 1,765 acres (7.143 km2) of cropland, which provide forage for wintering geese, 600 acres (2.4 km2) of riparian zone forests, and 500 acres (2.0 km2) of shallow water seasonal wetlands.As with the other refuges within the Willamette Valley National Wildlife Complex, the primary management goal of Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge is to provide high quality wintering habitat for geese, especially the dusky Canada goose (Branta canadensis subsp. occidentalis), to ensure healthy, viable goose populations while minimizing goose browse damage to crops on private agricultural lands. Unlike most other Canada geese, dusky Canada geese have limited summer and winter ranges. They nest on Alaska's Copper River Delta and winter almost exclusively in the Willamette Valley. Habitat loss, predation, and hunting caused a decrease in their population.