The primary refuge purposes stated in authorizing documents are flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife conservation.

The glacial river also exposed granite bedrock (gneiss and biotite) estimated to be 2.7 billion years old, some of the oldest known rocks in the world.

Glacial retreat at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation around 10,000 years ago left numerous depressions across the landscape.

However, the project was not completed as planned, and locals claimed that the Whetstone River was accelerating sediment flows into the lake.

Wet meadows represent the transition from wetlands to grasslands and have largely been invaded by non-native reed canary grass within the refuge, though a few areas remain dominated by sedges and prairie cordgrass.

Audubon Minnesota includes the refuge in its Lac qui Parle-Big Stone Important Bird Area (IBA).

Big Stone is an important breeding area for grassland bird species of concern including bobolinks and grasshopper sparrows.

[2] Approximately 30,000 people visit the refuge annually to engage in activities including wildlife viewing, hunting, fishing, hiking, and non-motorized boating within the Minnesota River channel.

[www.fws.gov/midwest/Planning/BigStoneNWR/CCP_and_Summary/bst_final_ccp_complete_5Dec2012.pdf] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.