D'Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
D'Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge is located north of West Monroe, Louisiana
, in Ouachita
and Union Parishes on either side of Bayou D'Arbonne near its confluence with the Ouachita River
. It lies on the western edge of the Mississippi
Alluvial valley. It was established in 1975 to protect bottomland hardwoods and provide wintering habitat for migratory waterfowl. No camping is provided on the refuge; however, camping opportunities exists at the nearby Lake D'Arbonne State Park
.
and the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker
. The refuge is bisected by 13 miles of Bayou D'Arbonne, a stream in the Louisiana Natural and Scenic Rivers System, and is crisscrossed by numerous creeks, sloughs and oxbow lake
s. Cypress swamps, bottomland hardwood and upland forests complete the landscape that is habitat for a diverse group of plants and animals. D'Arbonne NWR also has the national record mayhaw
tree, a wetland species with fruit that makes delicious jelly. D'Arbonne is one of four refuges managed in the North Louisiana Refuges Complex.
In years of normal or above rainfall, the refuge's bottomland hardwood forest is a very important overflow area for the Ouachita River
basin. High water levels, which usually occur between January and May, can flood up to 87% of the refuge. The wetland forests not only provide habitat to wetland dependent wildlife, but they also reduce damage from flooding in developed areas, they filter silt and other particles from the water, they help neutralize pollutants in the water, and they provide recharge areas for aquifer
s (natural underground water storage areas).
West Monroe, Louisiana
West Monroe is a city in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 13,250 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, in Ouachita
Ouachita Parish, Louisiana
-National protected areas:* Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge* D'Arbonne National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 147,250 people, 55,216 households, and 38,319 families residing in the parish. The population density was 241 people per square mile...
and Union Parishes on either side of Bayou D'Arbonne near its confluence with the Ouachita River
Ouachita River
The Ouachita River is a river that runs south and east through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Louisiana, joining the Tensas River to form the Black River near Jonesville, Louisiana.-Course:...
. It lies on the western edge of the Mississippi
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
Alluvial valley. It was established in 1975 to protect bottomland hardwoods and provide wintering habitat for migratory waterfowl. No camping is provided on the refuge; however, camping opportunities exists at the nearby Lake D'Arbonne State Park
Lake D'Arbonne State Park
Lake D'Arbonne State Park is in size and lies in a hilly region adjacent to Lake D'Arbonne in Union Parish, Louisiana, USA. It can be reached by taking La. Hwy. 2 west from Farmerville about , then left on Evergreen Road, which leads directly into the park.The state park is a popular place to...
.
Wildlife and habitat
The refuge provides habitat for alligators, bald eagles, the little known Rafinesque's big-eared batRafinesque's Big-eared Bat
The Rafinesque's Big-Eared Bat is a species of vesper bat in the Vespertilionidae family that occurs in the southeastern United States, and the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio....
and the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a woodpecker found in southeastern North America.- Description :About the size of the Northern Cardinal, it is approximately 8.5 in. long, with a wingspan of about 14 in. and a weight of about 1.5 ounces...
. The refuge is bisected by 13 miles of Bayou D'Arbonne, a stream in the Louisiana Natural and Scenic Rivers System, and is crisscrossed by numerous creeks, sloughs and oxbow lake
Oxbow lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped body of water formed when a wide meander from the main stem of a river is cut off to create a lake. This landform is called an oxbow lake for the distinctive curved shape, named after part of a yoke for oxen. In Australia, an oxbow lake is called a billabong, derived...
s. Cypress swamps, bottomland hardwood and upland forests complete the landscape that is habitat for a diverse group of plants and animals. D'Arbonne NWR also has the national record mayhaw
Mayhaw
Mayhaw is the name given to the fruit of the species of Crataegus series Aestivales that are common in wetlands throughout the southern United States. The principal species are C. aestivalis, the eastern Mayhaw, and C...
tree, a wetland species with fruit that makes delicious jelly. D'Arbonne is one of four refuges managed in the North Louisiana Refuges Complex.
In years of normal or above rainfall, the refuge's bottomland hardwood forest is a very important overflow area for the Ouachita River
Ouachita River
The Ouachita River is a river that runs south and east through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Louisiana, joining the Tensas River to form the Black River near Jonesville, Louisiana.-Course:...
basin. High water levels, which usually occur between January and May, can flood up to 87% of the refuge. The wetland forests not only provide habitat to wetland dependent wildlife, but they also reduce damage from flooding in developed areas, they filter silt and other particles from the water, they help neutralize pollutants in the water, and they provide recharge areas for aquifer
Aquifer
An aquifer is a wet underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from which groundwater can be usefully extracted using a water well. The study of water flow in aquifers and the characterization of aquifers is called hydrogeology...
s (natural underground water storage areas).
See also
- List of National Wildlife Refuges: Louisiana
- Lake D'Arbonne State ParkLake D'Arbonne State ParkLake D'Arbonne State Park is in size and lies in a hilly region adjacent to Lake D'Arbonne in Union Parish, Louisiana, USA. It can be reached by taking La. Hwy. 2 west from Farmerville about , then left on Evergreen Road, which leads directly into the park.The state park is a popular place to...