Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge Complex includes:
Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge and Cokeville
Meadows NationalWildlife
Refuge. Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge (NWR)
is located in southwestern Wyoming. The name Seedskadee originated
from the Shoshone Indian word "Sisk-a-dee-agie" meaning
"river of the prairie hen." The 27,230 acre Refuge
protects a mosaic of riparian, wetland, and upland shrub habitats
along 36 miles of the Green River. The river is an oasis that
bisects the vast high desert sagebrush plains of southwest Wyoming.
Seedskadee NWR was established in 1965 as mitigation
for the loss of habitat when Flaming Gorge and Fontenelle dams were
constructed. The riparian corridor is an important migration route
and nesting area for a wide variety of migratory waterfowl and
passerine bird species.
Refuge lands are rich in historic and cultural
resources because the area was used by nomadic Indian tribes, fur
trappers, and early pioneers. Hundreds of thousands of pioneers
crossed the treacherous Green River on what is now Seedskadee
National Wildlife Refuge. The Oregon and Mormon Trails, which
crossed the refuge, have been designated as National Historic Trails
by Congress. Jim Bridger and others operated ferries on the Green In
the 1840's and 1850's. Diaries of immigrants often mention the
crossing on the river and its difficulties. Ferries were swept away
by the strong currents and lives and possessions were lost. To this
day, some of the trails can be traced across the Refuge by their
ruts.
