Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was established to recover fish and wildlife habitat in and along the Missouri River. The purpose of the Boyer Chute Restoration Project is to restore essential wildlife habitat that became scarce when the Missouri River was "improved" for navigation half a century ago. River channelization, wetland drainage, and conversion of river bottom floodplain areas to agricultural, industrial, and municipal uses had resulted in the loss of over 500,000 acres of habitat along the navigable stretch of the Missouri River floodplain.

The Boyer Chute project is a joint Federal and local conservation partnership success story. The project has restored the area to near pre-channelization condition without affecting navigation on the main stem of the Missouri River. Boyer Chute is once again a functioning part of the river. Close to 3,350 acres of floodplain woodland, tallgrass prairie, and wetland habitats now benefit Missouri River fishes, migratory birds, endangered species, and resident wildlife.

Boyer Chute is self guiding. Floods in 2011 changed the look and the habitats of the refuge. The north and south sections of the auto tour loop are open. The Sauger Fishing Pier along the south section of road is open, but the Catfish Fishing Pier just south of the Refuge Entrance will remain closed indefinitely. Several parking areas are open, and the Main Parking Lot provides foot access via a concrete bridge across Boyer Chute Waterway onto the "Island"; over five miles of walking/hiking is available on the island portion of the refuge.