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Drone Rules for Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge - McGregor District
Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin (WI)
• United States
470 Cliffhaven Rd, Prairie du Chien, WI 53821, USA
Lat: 43.0697 • Lng: -91.1377
Rules Edit History: Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge - McGregor District
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Old outline is gray. New outline is blue.
May 30, 2026 7:54 AM
Approved
• Added USFWS drone prohibition for Upper Mississippi River NWR with 4,000-bald-eagle winter roost, Bald Eagle Protection Act, and multi-state La Crosse/Dubuque Class D context.
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Approved
Confidence: 0.75
Your proposed edit detailing the drone prohibition at Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge has been approved. This aligns with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations prohibiting drone operations within the refuge. The added context 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 the Upper Mississippi River NWR. The 240,000-acre four-state refuge corridor hosts the largest concentration of bald eagles in the lower 48 during the November-January winter roost period. |
| Mapped shapes | — | cd24fc83-823c-42db-93be-98907dca9d3f |
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Upper Mississippi River NWR **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210 across all 240,000 acres spanning Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. ### Airspace / Site Context - Up to 4,000 bald eagles winter in the open-water sections of the river November-January; the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act adds a second federal prohibition layer - The refuge corridor spans Class D airspace near Winona (ONA), La Crosse (LSE), and Dubuque (DBQ) airports - Active barge and towboat traffic on the river create radio-interference issues for drone controllers near metal barge hulls ### Key Rules - LAANC check required near LSE Class D (La Crosse), DBQ Class D (Dubuque), and ONA Class G before flights near the river - Eagle roost disruption during winter (Nov-Jan) risks Bald Eagle Protection Act violations: $10,000 fine / year in prison per bird - USFWS Special Use Permit required; multi-state corridor means application goes to the USFWS Upper Midwest Region in Bloomington, MN ### Source - USFWS Upper Mississippi River NWR: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/upper-mississippi-river
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+ ## Drone Rules - Upper Mississippi River NWR + + **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210 across all 240,000 acres spanning Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. + + ### Airspace / Site Context + - Up to 4,000 bald eagles winter in the open-water sections of the river November-January; the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act adds a second federal prohibition layer + - The refuge corridor spans Class D airspace near Winona (ONA), La Crosse (LSE), and Dubuque (DBQ) airports + - Active barge and towboat traffic on the river create radio-interference issues for drone controllers near metal barge hulls + + ### Key Rules + - LAANC check required near LSE Class D (La Crosse), DBQ Class D (Dubuque), and ONA Class G before flights near the river + - Eagle roost disruption during winter (Nov-Jan) risks Bald Eagle Protection Act violations: $10,000 fine / year in prison per bird + - USFWS Special Use Permit required; multi-state corridor means application goes to the USFWS Upper Midwest Region in Bloomington, MN + + ### Source + - USFWS Upper Mississippi River NWR: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/upper-mississippi-river +