Overflow National Wildlife Refuge
| Overflow National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
  Map of the United States | |
| Location | Ashley County, Arkansas, United States |
| Nearest city | Wilmot, Arkansas |
| Coordinates | 33°04′00″N 91°40′30″W / 33.0667916°N 91.6751235°WCoordinates: 33°04′00″N 91°40′30″W / 33.0667916°N 91.6751235°W[1] |
| Area | 12,247 acres (49.56 km2) |
| Established | 1980 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| http://www.fws.gov/felsenthal/overflow/ | |
Overflow National Wildlife Refuge is a 12,247 acres (49.6 km2) wildlife refuge in Ashley County, Arkansas managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Overflow National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1980. It lies 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Wilmot, Arkansas. The western boundary of the refuge follows the contour along the Mississippi Alluvial Valley escarpment which separates the Mississippi River delta from the Gulf Coastal Plain. The refuge also manages 2,267 acres (9.2 km2) at the Oakwood Unit, also in Ashley County, to which there is no public access.
The refuge consists of 9,247 acres (37.4 km2) of bottomland hardwood, 2,620 acres (10.6 km2) of agricultural fields, and 200 acres (0.8 km2) of upland pine-hardwood. It also contains a 230-acre (0.9 km2) old growth Sugar Maple and American Beech forest.[2]
The refuge was established to protect the habitat of various types of migratory waterfowl along the Mississippi Flyway. It also provides a habitat for other birds, such as the American bald eagle. Over 100,000 birds winter in the refuge.
References
- ↑ "Overflow National Wildlife Refuge". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
- ↑ Mary Byrd Davis (23 January 2008). "Old Growth in the East: A Survey. Arkansas" (PDF).