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{{short description|United States National Wildlife Refuge in southern Colorado.}}

factoids

| coords_ref = | area_acre = 14800| established = 1953| visitation_num = | visitation_year = United States Fish and Wildlife Service>U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service| website = Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge}}Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge located in southern Colorado. The refuge is located in the San Luis Valley south of the town of Monte Vista, Colorado in southeastern Rio Grande County, Colorado, in the watershed of the Rio Grande. It was established in 1953 by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission to provide a habitat for wildlife, particularly waterfowl, in the San Luis Valley.

Description and history

The site was historically an agricultural area and thus water is intensively managed on the refuge, especially in comparison to the nearby Alamosa refuge. Irrigation includes numerous dikes and other water control structures that provide water to a patchwork of diverse wetland habitats ranging from shallow wet meadows to open water. The refuge includes Artesian wells, pumped wells and irrigation canals, some dating to the “ditch boom” of the 1880s. The refuge is a major stopover for migrating greater sandhill cranes moving between their wintering area around Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico and breeding grounds in the northern United States and southern Canada. Up to 20,000 cranes pass through in the spring and again in the fall. Three remaining endangered whooping cranes from a failed attempt to establish a wild migratory population in the 1980s can be seen migrating with their foster species, the sandhill crane. Beginning in the 1980s, a herd of elk began using the refuge. At present, several hundred elk may be seen on the refuge seeking winter food and sanctuary from hunting pressure on nearby public lands.

Climate

Waverly is roughly 5 miles southeast of Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge. Waverly has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk), closely bordering on a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk).{{Weather box|location = Waverly, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals: 7603ft (2317m)|single line = Yes|Jan record high F = 58|Feb record high F = 61|Mar record high F = 72|Apr record high F = 76|May record high F = 86|Jun record high F = 90|Jul record high F = 96|Aug record high F = 86|Sep record high F = 85|Oct record high F = 79|Nov record high F = 68|Dec record high F = 62|year record high F = |Jan avg record high F = 47|Feb avg record high F = 52|Mar avg record high F = 67|Apr avg record high F = 72|May avg record high F = 78|Jun avg record high F = 86|Jul avg record high F = 86|Aug avg record high F = 83|Sep avg record high F = 81|Oct avg record high F = 74|Nov avg record high F = 64|Dec avg record high F = 53|year avg record high F = 88|Jan high F = 33.7|Feb high F = 39.1|Mar high F = 51.1|Apr high F = 59.4|May high F = 67.0|Jun high F = 76.6|Jul high F = 79.1|Aug high F = 77.1|Sep high F = 71.8|Oct high F = 61.6|Nov high F = 48.2|Dec high F = 35.0|year high F =|Jan mean F = 15.2|Feb mean F = 21.7|Mar mean F = 33.1|Apr mean F = 41.1|May mean F = 49.7|Jun mean F = 58.1|Jul mean F = 62.4|Aug mean F = 60.5|Sep mean F = 53.9|Oct mean F = 42.7|Nov mean F = 29.6|Dec mean F = 17.0|year mean F = |Jan low F = -3.2|Feb low F = 4.3|Mar low F = 15.1|Apr low F = 22.8|May low F = 32.3|Jun low F = 39.6|Jul low F = 45.7|Aug low F = 43.9|Sep low F = 36.0|Oct low F = 23.8|Nov low F = 11.0|Dec low F = -1.1|year low F =|Jan avg record low F= -22|Feb avg record low F= -13|Mar avg record low F= 0|Apr avg record low F = 9|May avg record low F = 19|Jun avg record low F = 30|Jul avg record low F = 39|Aug avg record low F = 36|Sep avg record low F = 26|Oct avg record low F = 10|Nov avg record low F = -5|Dec avg record low F = −18|year avg record low F = −26|Jan record low F = −40|Feb record low F = −33|Mar record low F = −11|Apr record low F = -1|May record low F = 6|Jun record low F = 18|Jul record low F = 33|Aug record low F = 29|Sep record low F = 20|Oct record low F = -6|Nov record low F = -23|Dec record low F = −34|year record low F = |precipitation colour = green|Jan precipitation inch = 0.49|Feb precipitation inch = 0.28|Mar precipitation inch = 0.50|Apr precipitation inch = 0.66|May precipitation inch = 0.71|Jun precipitation inch = 0.43|Jul precipitation inch = 1.09|Aug precipitation inch = 1.27|Sep precipitation inch = 1.04|Oct precipitation inch = 0.67|Nov precipitation inch = 0.37|Dec precipitation inch = 0.39|year precipitation inch =|Jan snow inch = 7.10|Feb snow inch = 4.00|Mar snow inch = 4.70|Apr snow inch = 5.50|May snow inch = 0.80|Jun snow inch = 0.00|Jul snow inch = 0.00|Aug snow inch = 0.00|Sep snow inch = 0.00|Oct snow inch = 1.70|Nov snow inch = 3.30|Dec snow inch = 5.10|year snow inch =|source 1 = NOAAWEB,www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00058860&format=pdf, Waverly 1W, Colorado 1991-2020 Monthly Normals, November 3, 2023, |source 2 = XMACIS (records & monthly max/mins)WEB,xmacis.rcc-acis.org/, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, xmACIS, November 3, 2023, }}

References

{{reflist}}{{Protected Areas of Colorado}}{{National Wildlife Refuges of the United States}}{{authority control}}