Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge protects lands and wetlands along the Columbia River in both Oregon and Washington, about 15 miles northwest of Hermiston. Established in 1969 to offset habitat lost after flooding caused by construction of John Day Dam, it preserves a diverse landscape of river channels, islands, open water, sloughs, marshes, seasonal wetlands, cropland, and shrub-steppe uplands. In a part of the Columbia basin where wetlands are relatively scarce, the refuge is especially important because it lies within the Pacific Flyway. It provides key wintering and stopover habitat for migratory geese and ducks and also supports bald eagles, colonial nesting birds, and other wildlife.