At first glance, it doesn't look like a wildlife area. With farmhouses dotting the flat land, it appears more cultivated than untamed. But beyond the stacked hay bales and grazing cows, cattails conceal wetlands that provide an ideal world for waterfowl.

Within the Klamath Wildlife Area in south-central Oregon, a protected peninsula combines wildlife with agriculture to create an important aquatic area for migratory birds.

Miller Island — one of four units in the Klamath Basin managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife — is one of the last spring rest stops for waterfowl winging their way north to summer nesting grounds. Though ducks do drop in for a refuge respite, it's the larger members of the web-footed family that flock by the thousands to Miller Island. This is the place where wild geese go.

According to Lanny Fujishin, manager of Miller Island — along with Gorr Island, Shoalwater Bay and soon-to-be renamed Squaw Point — the main purpose of the wildlife area is to provide a buffer zone with an agricultural resource for spring migrating geese flying up from California's Central Valley to British Columbia, Alaska and Siberia.

"Birds look for an area that's harassment free, has plenty of high-quality forage and contains loafing sites for maintaining energy resources," Fujishin said. "This helps them to complete their migration journey and enables them to court, mate, incubate and bring up their brood."

Spread out across 2,400 acres, Miller Island is divided equally between wetlands and farmland. As the weather warms up, thawing the frozen ground, fields are harrowed to stimulate grass growth to attract geese.

"We work about 600 acres annually for improved pasture and alfalfa along with 200 acres for cereal grains," Fujishin said. "We also lease out some of the land for cattle grazing to keep the grass cropped, providing the lush, green re-growth of grass and forbs while allowing geese to feel more secure from predators while out in the open."

In partial exchange for grazing rights, ranchers maintain fences and irrigate pastures on the refuge, a working relationship benefiting both ODFW and landowners.

It proves beneficial for waterfowl as well. In addition to a good food source for migrating geese to gorge on, 1,000 acres have also been left in a natural state of tall grass and cattails, suitable for nesting sites for resident birds.

"Many Great Basin Canada geese tend to stick around all year," Fujishin said. "In fact, they typically live and die within 100 miles of where they were hatched."

Though their permanent presence is a familiar sight, the springtime arrival of the Canada's cousins signals spectacular waterfowl viewing for human visitors. From the winter whiteness of Snow and Ross geese to the orange-legged, pink-billed white-fronted geese, Miller Island becomes a colorful welcome mat for more than four million waterfowl use days each year.

This makes Miller Island unique among Oregon's wildlife areas. Where else can you drive less than five miles from a city (Klamath Falls) and watch 30,000 geese rise up together in a loud chorus of cackles, fly in crowded circles overhead, then land en masse upon another field to feed?

It's a goose gathering of historical proportions that Fujishin is working hard to maintain despite past water restrictions.

"It started out bad in 2001, then it got worse. Not only was precipitation down naturally due to a low snow pack, but Miller Island was involved in the ‘regulated' drought as well," he said. "Like other landowners, we didn't get preferential treatment for water and a number of our fields turned brown because we couldn't irrigate."

Though a challenge to manage a waterfowl area without water, the Klamath River provided just enough water to prevent a botulism outbreak in the wetlands.

"When you get warm water and lots of birds in a concentrated area, botulism can occur," Fujishin said. "But by keeping some water flowing through the wetlands, we were able to minimize the potential."

With above normal snowfalls since then, Miller Island has had more moisture to keep the marshy areas wet and the grass green. Good news for Fujishin as his staff and local volunteers from the Oregon Hunters Association prepare for another season of goose guests.

From maintenance on 128 goose nesting boxes to organizing a goose banding day for kids to constructing wheelchair accessible hunting blinds for fall usage, Miller Island continues the tradition of hosting waterfowl in prime habitat and people with a passion for geese.

"Though a vestige of the historic wetlands we used to have in the Klamath Basin, Miller Island is still a key location for migrating ducks and geese along the Pacific Flyway," Fujishin said. "And with close proximity to Klamath Falls, our wildlife area is part of a community that has a lot of interest in the waterfowl here."