Skip to Content
Big Muddy Speaker Series logo
Menu
Close Menu

Big Muddy Speaker Series presents:

Big Muddy Refuge - Where water and wildlife meet

Illustrated river waves in white
Presented by Jason Wilson

Jason Wilson is the new manager of the Big Muddy National Fish & Wildlife Refuge. Jason will discuss the refuge's mission, the lands they manage, the challenges facing the Refuge, and how the refuge fits into the big picture of resource management and restoration in Missouri.

The Big Muddy National Fish & Refuge currently manages 15 separate units.  Twelve of these units are located along the final 367 miles of the Missouri River and fall under the Comprehensive Conservation Plan objectives.  Three additional units away from the river are long-time US Fish and Wildlife Service owned lands that the Refuge recently took under management to allow them to be open for public use (hunting, fishing, etc..)  With the new additions the Refuge is approaching 19,000 acres under management. Jason Wilson also oversees the Swan Lake and Loess Bluff Refuges.
The refuge was started following the 1993 flood, when Congress authorized the purchase of flood-damaged lands from willing sellers. The idea was to reduce flood risk by reconnecting some floodplains to floodwaters (thereby reducing local river crests) and taking frequently flooded properties out of agricultural production. The refuge also provides valuable forest, prairie and wetland habitat along the Missouri River corridor.
In 2017 the Refuge staff moved into its new headquarters building at the Overton Bottoms Unit of the refuge near Boonville, MO. The building was constructed by Fish and Wildlife Service employees through the “Maintenance Action Team”.  Over 70 maintenance personnel from across the nation joined the team to build the building.  Working in two-week shifts, depending upon the tasks, different sized crews worked 12 hour days to complete the work.   The team saved an estimated 1 million dollars versus the cost of contracting the building’s construction.

Meet Your Presenter

Big Muddy Speaker Series

Jason Wilson

, Big Muddy National Fish & Wildlife Refuge Manager

Related Presentations

Resources & Links

Dig deeper for more info on this topic

The Big Muddy Speakers Series in St. Charles

is hosted by these wonderful partners:

All speakers are presenting for free and Big A’s is sharing the space for free! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with all of us!

The Big Muddy Speaker Series also takes place monthly in Rocheport and Kansas City.

A special thank you to Greg Poleski of Greenway Network for making this happen!

The views and opinions expressed by our presenters do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of Greenway Network, the Big Muddy Speaker Series or any of the partners that support this public forum. The Big Muddy Speaker Series believes that hearing diverse perspectives is a crucial building block for an informed public.

Upcoming Presentations

Leave No Trace Training on the Barge

October 14, 2026
St. Louis, MO

Join us for a special Big Muddy Speaker Series on the Living Lands & Waters Barge where Perry Whitaker will lead us in a Leave No Trace Training.

See Event

Missouri River Relief: 25 Years on the Big Muddy

November 10, 2026
Columbia, MO

Join us for a journey through time celebrating 25 years of Missouri River Relief's work on the Big Muddy.

See Event

Plastic Pollution, Gulf Hypoxia, and Water Quality

November 11, 2026
St Charles, MO

Jennifer Wendt from MidAmerica Clean Future guides us through understanding regional water quality challenges.

See Event

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed by our presenters do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of Missouri River Relief, the Big Muddy Speaker Series or any of the partners that support this public forum. The Big Muddy Speaker Series believes that hearing diverse perspectives is a crucial building block for an informed public.
© 2026 Missouri River Relief. Website design and development by Pixel Jam Digital