Wintering River National Wildlife Refuge is a protected wildlife area in North Dakota within the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge complex. It is a limited-interest refuge, with the federal government holding an easement to manage habitat on privately owned land rather than owning the property outright. This refuge model emerged in the 1930s and 1940s as falling waterfowl populations coincided with New Deal programs during the Great Depression. At Wintering River, the easement permits regulation of water levels and limits on hunting to support wildlife habitat, while the land remains private and closed to public access, except for viewing wildlife from nearby public roads.