These islands are part of the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge. The islands have a mixed past, including commercial wildfowl hunting, ranching, and even a commercial dairy farm. Today most of that is gone, the daily farm island fell into disuse and the buildings slowly disappeared. The dikes surrounding it have now been breached to return it to tidal influences. One island still has beef grazing on it in the summer and duck hunting is still allowed on some of the islands during the fall.