, ▁this ▁was ▁not ▁done ▁with ▁Mer ed os ia ▁Island . ▁ ▁The ▁sod den ▁land , ▁which ▁resist ed ▁re clam ation , ▁was ▁acquired ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁by ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Mer ed os ia ▁Gun ▁Club , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁ ▁men ▁of ▁means ▁who ▁appreciated ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁shoot ▁du cks ▁and ▁ge ese . ▁ ▁The ▁gun ▁club ' s ▁care t akers ▁began ▁the ▁active ▁management ▁of ▁p onds ▁on ▁Mer ed os ia ▁Island ▁for ▁water f ow l . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁federal ▁Fish ▁and ▁Wild life ▁Service ▁took ▁over ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁Island ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁current ▁Ref uge , ▁these ▁efforts ▁continued . ▁ ▁Fish ▁and ▁Wild life ▁Service ▁land ▁ac quisition ▁efforts ▁continue . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁the ▁US F WS ▁had ▁acquired ▁a ▁ ▁par cel , ▁slightly ▁less ▁than ▁ 7 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁author ized ▁" foot print " ▁that ▁the ▁Ref uge ▁will ▁cover ▁when ▁the ▁ac quisition ▁process ▁is ▁complete . ▁ ▁The ▁lands ▁currently ▁under ▁active ▁federal ▁ownership ▁or ▁management ▁are ▁now ▁managed ▁not ▁only ▁for ▁water f ow l , ▁but ▁also ▁for ▁shore bird s , ▁w ading ▁birds ▁and ▁other ▁wild life ▁that ▁are ▁native ▁to ▁the ▁Illinois ▁River ▁valley . ▁ ▁The ▁Fish ▁and ▁Wild life ▁Service ' s ▁long - range ▁plans ▁for ▁the ▁Ref uge ▁call ▁for ▁it ▁to ▁contain