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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2001

"Kellys Slough is a national wildlife refuge, located just past the Grand Forks airport off of U.S. Highway 2. Kurt Tompkins, assistant refuge manager, said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has its eye on acquiring five additional parcels of land, and the county's approval is the first step. This news might not be noteworthy for some people in our area, but to bird-watchers and nature enthusiasts such as me, the vote brought smiles.

I passed by that slough for years when I first moved to the area. It wasn't until my daughter told me that she took the kids there to see the wildlife and birds that I thought of it as more than just a slough.

You see, to me the word "slough" means swamp, bog or marsh -- a muddy and mosquito-infested place, with that telltale smell of sour water and decay.

That is not Kellys Slough. In fact, it is quite the opposite. . ."

Get the Story:
COLUMNIST DORREEN YELLOW BIRD: Kellys Slough is a bird-watching paradise, close to Grand Forks (The Grand Forks Herald 11/24)