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Drone Rules for Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Columbia, South Dakota (SD)
• United States
39650 Sand Lake Dr, Columbia, SD 57433, USA
Lat: 45.7258 • Lng: -98.3045
Rules Edit History: Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
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Mapped shape change
Old outline is gray. New outline is blue.
May 30, 2026 8:20 AM
Approved
• Added USFWS drone prohibition for Sand Lake NWR with Central Flyway record snow goose count, ABR Class D proximity, and Great Plains wind hazard context.
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Approved
Confidence: 0.99
Your proposed edit detailing the drone prohibition at Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge has been approved. This aligns with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations prohibiting drone operations within national wildlife refuges. The added context regarding the refuge's significance as a staging area for snow geese and white-fronted geese during fall migration enhances understanding of the area's drone flight considerations. The outline has been updated to accurately represent the restricted area.
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | Unknown | NoFly |
| Summary | — | USFWS prohibits drones on Sand Lake NWR. The James River impoundment is one of the most important fall migration staging areas for snow geese and white-fronted geese on the Central Flyway. |
| Mapped shapes | — | d41bcf5b-8e55-45ac-9c5d-ce0b69716096 |
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Sand Lake NWR, South Dakota **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210. ### Airspace / Site Context - Up to 1 million snow geese stage here in October; the refuge holds the record for the largest single-day snow goose count in the Central Flyway - Aberdeen Regional (ABR) Class D is ~15 NM west; LAANC required for any flight within ABR surface area - Great Plains wind is extreme in October; UAS wind tolerance limits are frequently exceeded during peak migration ### Key Rules - LAANC check for ABR Class D before any flight in the Brown County area - October peak migration: USFWS ranger presence is highest of the year; citations have been issued at the visitor parking areas - USFWS Special Use Permit required; migration season permits require USFWS Mountain-Prairie Region approval ### Source - USFWS Sand Lake: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/sand-lake
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+ ## Drone Rules - Sand Lake NWR, South Dakota + + **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210. + + ### Airspace / Site Context + - Up to 1 million snow geese stage here in October; the refuge holds the record for the largest single-day snow goose count in the Central Flyway + - Aberdeen Regional (ABR) Class D is ~15 NM west; LAANC required for any flight within ABR surface area + - Great Plains wind is extreme in October; UAS wind tolerance limits are frequently exceeded during peak migration + + ### Key Rules + - LAANC check for ABR Class D before any flight in the Brown County area + - October peak migration: USFWS ranger presence is highest of the year; citations have been issued at the visitor parking areas + - USFWS Special Use Permit required; migration season permits require USFWS Mountain-Prairie Region approval + + ### Source + - USFWS Sand Lake: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/sand-lake +