Type Glacial lake Surface elevation 529 m | Basin countries United States Cities Dawson | |
Location Kidder County, North Dakota | ||
Upper Harker Lake is a shallow glacial lake located in Kidder County, North Dakota, United States. It is 4.6 km (2.9 mi) south-southeast of the town of Dawson, North Dakota, and 81.2 km (50.5 mi) east of the state capital, Bismarck. The lake is entirely surrounded by the wetlands and marshes of the Slade National Wildlife Refuge, and public access is limited.
Contents
Map of Upper Harker Lake, Sibley, ND 58428, USA
HistoryEdit
Historically, the marshes and wetlands south of the town of Dawson, North Dakota support a large quantity of migratory waterfowl, which have attracted hunters. George Theron Slade, Third Vice President of the Northern Pacific Railroad, enjoyed hunting game birds in the area. In 1924, he began purchasing land around Upper Harker Lake for the use of a private shooting club. Slade invested a considerable sum into improving the land with the aim of making it more attractive for waterfowl. Improvements included planting and harvesting a limited amount of organically-grown grain to provide bird feed, and a well capable of pumping 60,500 liters (16,000 gallons) of water per hour to keep the lake level from falling during drought. In 1940, Slade donated the land to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, which used the land to establish the Slade National Wildlife Refuge.
WildlifeEdit
Upper Harker Lake is used by waterfowl approximately nine months out of the year. The most common species to be found include Canada geese, mallards, snow geese, ring-necked pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, and Hungarian partridges. White-tailed deer are common around the lake, and some coyotes live in the area. A majority of the grasslands around the perimeter of the lake are introduced grasses and legumes.