Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1958 under the authority of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act for use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other purpose, for migratory birds. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages the approximately 10.818 acres of freshwater marshes, hardwood swamps, woods, forests, pastures, and meadows as wildlife habitat for a variety of animals. It is part of a nationwide network of lands and waters set aside to benefit wildlife. Ducks and Canada geese, as well as many other migratory birds, nest on Iroquois Refuge, while most use it as a resting, staging, and feeding area during spring and fall migration. Other species of birds, as well as mammals, fish, reptiles, and amphibians, live on the refuge year-round.