[1] The Meredosia National Wildlife Refuge is located on a riverine zone, historically wetland, that borders the Illinois River and its flyway for waterfowl.

Much of the Refuge is located on a patch of wetland that is still called Meredosia Island although it is now permanently connected to the mainland by drained parcels of former riverbed.

The sodden land, which resisted reclamation, was acquired in the early 1920s by the Chicago Meredosia Gun Club, a group of men of means who appreciated the opportunity to shoot ducks and geese.

As of 2009, the USFWS had acquired a 3,582-acre (14.50 km2) parcel, slightly less than 70 percent of the total authorized "footprint" that the Refuge will cover when the acquisition process is complete.

[1] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.