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| National Park Overview: |
 | Located in the high central plains of northeastern New Mexico, Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1965 as a feeding and resting area for migratory birds. Over 350 acres of the Refuge are planted with wheat, corn, barley, and alfalfa to provide food for resident and migratory wildlife. Visitors may see bald and golden eagles, falcons, hawks, sandhill cranes, ducks, white pelicans, burrowing owls, great horned owls, black-tailed prairie dogs, coyotes, mule deer, white-tailed deer, and the occasional elk. |
| Nature of the Area: |
| The refuge has approximately 2200 acres of both healthy and disturbed short-grass prairie habitat, some of which is in the process of being restored. The environmental conditions in a prairie can be extreme: intense sunlight, drought, late spring snows, and high winds. Up to two-thirds of a prairie plant is contained below ground in its root mass, which helps the plant tolerate these extreme conditions. The roots help the plant take up nutrients and water from the soil. The prairie varies seasonally both in color and height. The dominant species include buffalo grass, blue grama, western wheatgrass, alkali sacaton, and red three-awn. Early in spring the prairie is much shorter with some small wildflowers blooming. The prairie reaches its peak color in July when most plants are blooming. Later in the season, the prairie is dominated by tall grasses, which give the prairie its beautiful fall color of orange, brown, and purple. |
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| Fishing and Hunting: |
| Fishing:
Lake 13 is a well-known fishing spot; the state record yellow perch and rainbow trout were both caught in the lake. Sportfish that have been caught in Lake 13 include channel catfish, walleye, largemouth bass, yellow bull head catfish, green sunfish, bluegill, and stocked rainbow trout. Sport fishing is at Lakes 13 and 14 are subject to the State's current fishing regulations and a state license is required. Fishing is permitted from March 1 through October 31. All other lakes and wetland areas are not available to fishing enthusiasts and are closed to public entry. Only the use of rods and reels or poles and lines is permitted and these must be attended at all times.
Hunting:
While no hunting of any species is currently allowed on the Refuge, the white-tailed and mule deer populations are growing on the Refuge and may, at some point in the future, require management. Interested individuals should check at the Refuge office on the current status of hunting on the refuge. |
| History of the Area: |
| Vastly different concepts of land use and ownership can be seen in the history of Colfax County and northeastern New Mexico. Plains indians hunted, fished, and traded here for centuries but did not own title to the land.
Apache, Navajo, and Pueblo Indians crossed the plains in search of food and trade goods but did not create permanent settlements here.
Communities of Spanish and Mexican farmers and cattleman appeared around 1800, which were eventually integrated with European settlers with the eastern United States.
The purchase of these private lands for the creation of Maxwell NWR began in 1966 under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act. Concentrations of migrating birds, particularly geese, in the Central Flyway were creating intense crop depredation problems in some areas. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began purchasing scattered tracts of land to provide waterfowl habitat in a broad area to better distribute migrating birds and alleviate crop depredation problems, thereby creating Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge. |
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...vacation cabin, weekend getaway, log cabin rental, romantic cottage, vacation home, resort, hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, country inn, campground, RV park, horseback riding stable, canoe livery, river rafting, outfitting, sporting goods store, guide service, RV rental, etc read more.... |
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| Related Links: |
| FWS Publications Online - ... 1989. (Region 2) Contaminant Investigation of Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge (Region 2) Contaminant Residues in Fish From ... Investigation of Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge (Region 2 ... | | Bird Checklists of the United States - Bird Checklists of the United States. Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge. Maxwell, New Mexico. This checklist contains 344 species of birds that have been seen on the refuge, and is in accordance ... | | RECONNAISSANCE INVESTIGATION OF WATER QUALITY, BOTTOM SEDIMENT - US Geologic Survey Homepage for Water Resources of New Mexico ... DRAINAGE IN THE VERMEJO PROJECT AREA AND THE MAXWELL NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, COLFAX COUNTY, NORTHEASTERN NEW MEXICO, 1993 By James R ... | | Bird-watching: Santa Fe Area Bird-watching @ nationalgeographic.com - ... just minutes from the interstate at Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge, noted for migrant waterfowl, winter raptors, and ... the interstate at Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge, noted for migrant ... | | New Mexico Desert Places To Go - DesertUSA - Lots of links to California's Desert National Parks, State Parks, Recreation & Wilderness Areas ... Refuge Lincoln National Forest Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge Pecos Wilderness Area San ... |
| Directions: |
| Located on Refuge Road, 1.5 miles north of the intersection of Refuge Road and State Road 505, the administrative office is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm.
Public entry into the refuge is available off State Road 445 and State Road 505. |
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