Fish Springs NWR marsh is a magnet for migrating birds. Nearly 270 species of birds have been observed on the refuge. Management activities include a rotational impoundment drawdown schedule combined with prescription burning to enhance marsh productivity. Recent breeding season emphasis has focused on providing additional breeding and migratory foraging habitat for shorebirds and colonial wading birds. Fish Springs NWR holds the distinction of being the most geographically isolated NWR in the lower 48 states. Located over 70 miles from the nearest town, much of that distance by dirt roads, the refuge is famous for its solitude. The Refuge encompasses has a rich human history, beginning with the use of the area by pre-Columbian Indian tribes. The Pony Express maintained a station here in 1860-61, the transcontinental telegraph line crossed the area, and in the early 20th century the Lincoln Highway, the Nation's first transcontinental automobile road, came through the area.
