[2] In 1946, the state of Wisconsin bought 12,000 acres (49 km2) of the tax delinquent land in order to start the Crex Meadows Wildlife Area.

[1] As of 2024, Crex Meadows has 29 flowages that flood 6,000 acres (24 km2), and it is managed to "provide opportunities for public hunting, trapping and other outdoor recreation while protecting the qualities of the unique native communities and associated species found on the property.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources officials say those problems are caused by years of heavy precipitation related to climate change and not by the management of the water levels in the wildlife area.

[5] Ospreys, eagles, trumpeter swans, Karner blue butterflies, Blanding's turtles, and red-necked grebes are some of the endangered and threatened animals that find shelter in Crex Meadows.

Additionally, the peregrine falcon, Caspian tern, and great egret seasonally make their home at Crex.

[5] Besides birding, visitors to Crex Meadows Wildlife Area can also go camping, canoeing, boating, kayaking, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, hunting, trapping, and hiking.