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Kevin Gahn Wildlife Refuge

The Kevin Gahn Wildlife Refuge is located just north of West Burlington on Washington Road. These 56 acres of land was transferred to the Conservation Board for management in 1993 and named in memory of Kevin Gahn, a board member tragically killed in an auto accident the year before.  The site is currently undergoing prairie and woods restoration.

The Gahn Swans:  In 1995, the Oquawka Conservation Club donated the money for a mated pair of trumpeter swans.  Their dollars also went for an aeration system to keep the water of the pond open.  These monies were donated to the Conservation Board to help with the state-wide re-introduction plan.  The swans live in Gahn Refuge which is surrounded by a fence and locked gate, limiting public access and keeping predators out. The pond is open to the public only twice a year: during the Fishing Derby on the first Saturday morning in June, and again in September for one morning.

The swans mated successfully in 2000, producing five cygnets, four of which survived. The cygnets were removed by DNR biologists in autumn and relocated to other ponds in Iowa. So far this year, the swans are building a nest and are expected to have eggs soon.