Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1966 as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers John Redmond Reservoir flood control project. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages 18,463 acres upstream of the reservoir, most of them in the floodplain of the Neosho River. Its prairie grasslands, bottomland hardwood timber, wetlands, and cropland are managed to provide food and habitat for migratory birds and resident wildlife. It is an important resting area for waterfowl migrating through Kansas, and thousands of mallards, blue-winged teal, Canada geese, and snow geese can be seen there during spring and fall migrations. The refuge also provides valuable habitat for shorebirds, bald eagles, wild turkey, bobwhite quail, bobcats, white-tailed deer, and many species of warblers.