Dixon Waterfowl Refuge in Putnam County, Illinois, occupies the former beds of Hennepin and Hopper lakes in the Illinois River lowlands, a landscape once rich in fish, waterfowl, and fur-bearing animals and used by Native Americans and early fur traders, including Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard in 1818 and 1819. Drained for cropland after 1908 through levees, ditches, pumps, and tile lines, the area was sold in 2000 for restoration, and work began in 2001. The restored wetlands now include marshes, prairies, meadows, and open water, support hundreds of plant and bird species, and have gained state, national, and international recognition for conservation.