Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area

The Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area (YWHMA), located at the confluence of the Shoshone and Bighorn rivers, provides significant habitat for one of the richest concentrations of wildlife in Wyoming. Land was obtained in 1967 by the US Department of the Interior in relation to the construction of the Yellowtail Dam on the Bighorn River; more than half of the 19,400-acre area occurs in Bighorn Canyon National Recreational Area. The YWHMA has one of the largest remaining contiguous examples of old growth cottonwood riparian systems in the state and also includes sagebrush grassland, wetland, and edge habitats. Wetlands and adjacent areas provide important forage and resting areas for migrating waterfowl, crucial winter habitat for big game, and production and forage areas for birds of prey, small birds, small mammals, and fish. Recreational opportunities in the YWHMA, such as hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing, provide revenue to local economies. YWHMA is one of the premier upland game and pheasant hunting areas in Wyoming.