This Refuge was established by an Act of Congress on June 7, 1924, "as a refuge and breeding place for migratory birds, fish, other wildlife, and plants." The north end begins at the confluence of the Mississippi and Chippewa rivers near Wabasha, Minnesota and the south end is near Rock Island, Illinois. Just over 240,000 acres of wooded islands, marshes, and backwaters comprise the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge. The 240,000-acre refuge winding through 4 states for 261 miles provides a home for hundreds of species of fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects and native plants. It is a place where the rare and uncommon seem commonplace.