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Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge

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	Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge
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	Topics Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge Topic Home The Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a 4,049 acre (16.4 km²) National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish... located in Lanier County, GeorgiaLanier County, Georgia djacent Counties Berrien County, Georgia - north... . Banks Lake is a natural pocosin or sink of ancient geologic origin. The refuge was established in 1985 for the protection and conservation of this unique environment as well as migratory and resident wildlife. An estimated 20,000 people visit the refuge each year. There is no dedicated budget or staff for the refuge; it is administered completely by the Okefenokee National Wildlife RefugeOkefenokee National Wildlife Refuge The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge* is a 395,080 acre National Wildlife Refuge located in Charlton and Ware Countie... . History Banks Lake is a natural PocosinPocosin Pocosin is a Native American term for a type of palustrine wetland with deep, acidic, sandy, peat soils.... or Mill PondMill Pond Mill Pond is a very common name for any body of water associated with a water-powered mill.... probably created by tidal actionTide The tide is the cyclic rising and falling of Earth's ocean surface caused by the tidal forces of the Moon and the Sun acting... of the ocean and shaped by a more temperate climate thousands of years ago. In the mid-1800’s, Joshua Lee built a low-level damDam A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or imp... across the drainage creek on his property and utilized the impounded running water to power a gristGrist Grist is grain that has been separated from its chaff in prepraration for grinding.... millMill (grinding) A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces.... to grind corn, wheat, and rice. The impounded lake and accompanying mill established the area as a trade center along the early stagecoach route between Waycross, GeorgiaWaycross, Georgia Waycross is a city in Ware County, Georgia, United States.... and Thomasville, GeorgiaThomasville, Georgia Thomasville is a city in Thomas County, Georgia, United States.... . In the 1920's, the E.D. Rivers family attempted to develop the area around the lake for electric powerElectrical power industry Electric power, often known as power or electricity, involves the production and delivery of electrical energy t... and land developmentLand development Land development refers to altering the landscape in any number of ways such as:... . In the 1970's , the E.D. Rivers Estate threatened to drain the lake and harvest the "lightered stumps" and cypress treeTaxodium *Taxodium* is a genus of one to three species of extremely flood-tolerant conifers in the cypress family, Cupressaceae.... s. The Nature ConservancyFacts About The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy is a leading environmental organization working to protect the most ecologically important lands and ... purchased the land from the E.D. Rivers Estate on March 14, 1980. In April, 1980, the United States Fish and Wildlife ServiceUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a unit of the United States Department of the Interior that is dedicated to m... entered into a lease agreement with The Nature Conservancy for management and operation of Banks Lake. On February 22, 1985, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service purchased Banks Lake from The Nature Conservancy and redesignated it as the Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuge. Topography Banks Lake is a natural PocosinPocosin Pocosin is a Native American term for a type of palustrine wetland with deep, acidic, sandy, peat soils.... or Mill PondMill Pond Mill Pond is a very common name for any body of water associated with a water-powered mill.... probably created by tidal actionTide The tide is the cyclic rising and falling of Earth's ocean surface caused by the tidal forces of the Moon and the Sun acting... of the ocean and shaped by a more temperate climate thousands of years ago. Of the 4,049 acres (16.4 km²), approximately 1,000 acres (4 km²) is open water. The remainder consists of marshMarsh Overview In geography, a marsh is a type of wetland, featuring grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, cat tails, and other herbaceou... , hardwood swampSwamp A swamp is a wetland that features permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water, generally with a ... , and uplandUpland (geology) In Geology an upland is generally considered to be land that is along streams and at a higher elevation than the alluvial pl... s. Facilities Fishing is permitted year-round on the lake in accordance with Georgia State fishing laws. Sportfish most caught include largemouth bassLargemouth bass The Largemouth bass is a species of fish.... , chain pickerelChain pickerel The chain pickerel is a species of freshwater fish in the pike family of order Esociformes.... , crappieCrappie *Pomoxis* Rafinesque, 1818, is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of order Perciformes.... , bluegillBluegill The bluegill is a species of freshwater... , warmouth perch, flierFlier The flier is a sunfish native to muddy-bottomed swamps, ponds, weedy lakes, and riverine backwaters across the American Sou... , and catfishCatfish Catfish are a diverse group of fish.... . A short walking trail, boardwalk and platform are provided for wildlife viewing opportunities A concession, the Banks Lake Outpost, rents canoes and kayaks and sells fishing and hunting licenses, bait and tackle, gifts and snacks. See also List of National Wildlife RefugesList of National Wildlife Refuges As of 30 September 2005, there were 545 National Wildlife Refuges in each of the United States.... External links