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Atchafalaya General
Atchafalaya General
Atchafalaya
National Wildlife
Refuge
Managed as part of Sherburne Complex
Tom Carlisle
This basin contains over one-half
million acres of hardwood swamps,
lakes and bayous, and is larger than
the vast Okefenokee Swamp of
Georgia and Florida. It is an immense
This blue goose,
natural floodplain of the Atchafalaya
designed by J.N.
River, which flows for 140 miles south
“Ding” Darling,
from its parting from the Mississippi
has become the
River to the Gulf of Mexico.
symbol of the
National Wildlife The fish and wildlife resources
Refuge System. of the Atchafalaya River Basin
are exceptional. The basin’s dense
bottomland hardwoods, cypress-
tupelo swamps, overflow lakes,
and meandering bayous provide a
tremendous diversity of habitat for
many species of fish and wildlife.
Ecologists rank the basin as one of
the most productive wildlife areas in
North America.
The basin also supports an
extremely productive sport and
commercial fishery, and provides
unique recreational opportunities to
hundreds of thousands of Americans
each year.
Wildlife Every year, thousands of migratory
waterfowl winter in the overflow
swamps and lakes of the basin,
located at the southern end of the
great Mississippi Flyway. The lakes
of the lower basin support one of the
largest wintering concentrations of
canvasbacks in Louisiana.
The basin’s wooded wetlands also
provide vital nesting habitat for
wood ducks, and support the nation’s
largest concentration of American
America’s Great River Swamp woodcock. More than 300 species of
Deep in the heart of Cajun Country, resident and migratory birds use the
Steve Maslowski
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Good forest management is essential Management Area. The refuge is
to the protection and enhancement popular for white-tailed deer hunting
of the wildlife within the basin. The and is especially noted for its youth
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and handicapped hunts.
and Fisheries, the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, and the U.S. Fish and The refuge is open year-round for
Wildlife Service are responsible for sportfishing in accordance with state
a wide range of forest management fishing regulations.
programs on the preserved areas of Sherburne The State of Louisiana’s Sherburne
the basin. These programs ensure Wildlife Wildlife Management Area is located
that the area’s productivity for Management in the upper third of the Atchafalaya
wildlife remains high. Planting, Area River Basin between Interstate 10
thinning, and selective vegetation and U.S. Highway 190. It covers
regeneration approximately 11,780 acres and was
are a few of established in 1983 by the Louisiana
the forestry Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
management The area supervisor’s headquarters
techniques is located east of Krotz Springs,
utilized to Louisiana, on LA 975 approximately
improve wildlife three miles south of U.S. Highway
habitat. Mature 190.
forests are also
Dave Menke
Donna Bush ©
complex.
The area is being managed to provide
a variety of habitats for native and
migratory wildlife and to promote American alligator
public outdoor recreation and access. For further information on USACOE
A variety of outdoor recreational Lands, please contact:
opportunities are offered such as
hiking, birdwatching, hunting, Park Manager
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
George Gentry
Management Area
P.O. Box 127
Krotz Springs, LA 70750
Snowy egret
Telephone: 337/566 2251
Atchafalaya
National Wildlife Refuge
61389 Highway 434
Lacombe, LA 70445
Phone: 985/882 2000
Fax: 985/882 9133
E-mail: atchafalaya@fws.gov
August 2006