Ouray National Wildlife Refuge is a protected wetland and river corridor in northeastern Utah that preserves crucial habitat in an otherwise arid landscape. Established in 1960 within the National Wildlife Refuge System, it was created to support local and migratory birds and was funded through Federal Duck Stamp sales. The refuge stretches 12 miles along the Green River and covers 11,987 acres, including land leased from the Uintah and Ouray Indian Reservation. Its importance has expanded through the Ouray National Fish Hatchery, established in 1996, which raises several native fish species as part of ongoing conservation and recovery efforts.