Oxford Slough Waterfowl Production Area

Oxford Slough was acquired by the US Fish & Wildlife Service to protect important redhead nesting habitat in southeast Idaho. Most of the area is a hardstem bulrush marsh, created in a wide, low spot along Deep Creek. The marsh is interspersed with areas of open water and surrounded by native wet meadow, saltgrass flats and playa with only a bit of cropland. Most of the lower areas show alkali deposits on the surface. As part of the marsh is still in private ownership, manipulations of the water level don't happen. If the summer is dry, the marsh goes dry. Most of the native pasture is no longer grazed. Most of the meadows, irrigated alfalfa fields and native grass hayfields are hayed regularly to provide short-grass feeding areas for cranes and geese. There's also a cooperative farm agreement in place that requires a portion of each crop raised on the land to be left each year for the wildlife.

To get there: About 2 miles north of Swan Lake on Route 91, turn south onto Road D1 and go to the village of Oxford. Pass through Oxford and on the east side of the village there's a small bypass. Go east, just north of Oxford on a gravel road that skirts Oxford Slough WPA. About 3/4 of a mile in, the access road will turn toward a small parking lot next to the marsh. The road into the parking lot may be well hidden by the vegetation.