The Columbia River Gorge is a landscape of contrast with a variety of habitats supporting native birds, mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and plants. In the spring and fall, migrating birds rest and feed at this riverside sanctuary on their way to northern breeding grounds, or southern wintering homes.

Human activity in the Gorge over the past 100 years changed the landscape, reducing the variety of food and shelter available to wildlife. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is improving this wetland to provide abundant food and higher quality habitat.

When native natural resources return, so do the wildlife that depend upon them, like the swans that winter at Franz Lake. Wapato, a starchy bulbous root, was not seen at Franz Lake for years, but reappeared in the 1980s, soon after swans began returning to rest and feed.

Franz Lake and its tributaries provide refuge for migrating juvenile salmonids from high water levels and flows in the Columbia River during their migration. The springs provide summer rearing habitat for coho salmon.

Franz Lake is one of several national wildlife refuges within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the refuge is a system of permanent basins, springs, and seasonally flooded wetlands.
The refuge is located along Highway 14, 15 miles east of Washougal. However, it is closed to all public access until a management plan is developed for the area.