Dakota Lake National Wildlife Refuge occupies part of the James River corridor in southern Dickey County, North Dakota, where it preserves river and wetland habitat along a major migration route. Established on May 10, 1939, by Executive Order 8117 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, it covers 2,784 acres of private land protected through flooding and management easements. Its key structure, Dakota Lake Dam, was built during the Depression to raise the river about one foot, helping retain water in old channels and create breeding and nesting habitat for marsh-dependent birds. The refuge is especially important to migratory waterfowl and shorebirds, including prominent spring and fall gatherings of snow geese.