Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1908 under President Theodore Roosevelt as a reserve and breeding ground for native birds, making it the 15th refuge established in the country. Chase Lake has one of the largest American white pelican nesting colonies in North America. That said, the year the Refuge was established, only 50 pelicans inhabited the area, as written by local settler H.H. McCumber. In 2000, a record 35,466 breeding pelicans were tallied at the Refuge.