The Windmill Ranch unit consists of four separate parcels totaling 2,000 acres located about three miles northwest of Mesa in Franklin County. Parcels are owned by WDFW, DNR, and BOR, but all are managed by WDFW. Field corn is grown for the benefit of wintering waterfowl and migrating sandhill cranes. The rest of the area is a mosaic of several habitat types, including shrub-steppe, grasslands, ponds, wetlands and riparian shrub, and forest. A history of grazing and fire has removed much of the shrub component from the shrub-steppe areas but replanting efforts have restored at least part of it. Wetlands, primarily formed by irrigation seepage and wastewater and return flows, are also scattered throughout the property. Some are intensively managed for moist soil conditions and waterfowl production and winter food. Others are left to function naturally. The Columbia Basin Irrigation Project, which is the source of all water on this site, has created numerous sub-irrigated areas that are rife with noxious weeds such as Canada thistle, phragmites, purple loosestrife and salt cedar. A relatively new weed, hairy willow herb, was just discovered on this site in 2005.