The Innoko National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1980, along additional land for National Parks, other National Wildlife Refuges, National Wild and Scenic Rivers, and wilderness areas in Alaska by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. One of the primary reasons the Innoko Refuge was created was its importance as a waterfowl area in interior Alaska. The Innoko Refuge provides a vast area of wetlands that are crucial for waterfowl nesting, resting, staging and molting. Other special values that the refuge is noted for include habitat for raptor populations and the natural water and fire regime that creates excellent habitat for moose.

ANILCA established the refuge in two units encompassing 4.6 million acrea. The Northern Unit (751,000 acres) of the Refuge, also called Kaiyah Flats is located adjacent to the Yukon River southwest of Galena. The Southern Unit (3.85 million acres) surrounding the Innoko River, is administered by the Innoko National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters in McGrath.

The Northern unit's primary users are the residents of Galena, Koyukuk, Nulato and Kaltag. To facilitate these users, the Service managers the area from the headquarters of the Koyukuk Refuge in Galena rather than the Innoko Refuge in McGrath, some 140 air miles to the southeast. Galena is much more accessible, both by water and air, to those using the northern unit of the Innoko Refuge then is McGrath.

Contact the Koyuku Refuge Manager at 1-800-656-1231 for further information on this unit of the Innoko Refuge.