White River National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
The White River National Wildlife Refuge is a 160000 acres (647.5 km²) wildlife refuge located in Desha
, Monroe
, Phillips, and Arkansas
counties in the U.S. state
of Arkansas
. The refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
.
White River National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1935. The refuge is 3 to 10 mi (4.8 to 16.1 km) wide and encompassing 90 miles (144.8 km) of the lower 100 miles (160.9 km) of the White River
. It also includes 3 miles (4.8 km) of the Arkansas Post Canal which is part of the Army Corps of Engineers' McClellan-Kerr Navigation System on the Arkansas River
.
The refuge has the largest concentration of wintering mallard ducks in the Mississippi Flyway
. It also has large concentrations of snow and Canada geese. The refuge is home to a population of black bears
and four active bald eagle
nests. It is believed by some to host one of the last populations of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
, a bird variously considered extinct or nearly so.
The refuge lies with the Mississippi lowland forests
ecoregion. Within the refuge, the Sugarberry Natural Area includes a 973 acres (393.8 ha) old-growth bottomland hardwood forest of varied composition. The area contains four forest types: American Sweetgum
, Nuttall's Oak
, Willow Oak
; Sugarberry, American Elm
, Green Ash
; American Sycamore
, Pecan
, American Elm
; and Baldcypress.
The refuge has 356 natural and man-made lakes which make up 4000 acres (16.2 km²) of the refuge. There are 154000 acres (623.2 km²) of forest
land, 900 acres (3.6 km²) of agricultural land, and 1000 acres (4 km²) of grassland
.
The refuge is classified as a Wetland of International Importance.
Desha County, Arkansas
Desha County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,008. The county seat is Arkansas City. Desha County is Arkansas's 40th county, formed on December 12, 1838, and named for Captain Benjamin Desha who fought in the War of...
, Monroe
Monroe County, Arkansas
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2010, the population is 8,149. The county seat is Clarendon, while its largest city is Brinkley...
, Phillips, and Arkansas
Arkansas County, Arkansas
Arkansas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2010 census, the population was 19,019. The county has two county seats, De Witt and Stuttgart...
counties in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. The refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
.
White River National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1935. The refuge is 3 to 10 mi (4.8 to 16.1 km) wide and encompassing 90 miles (144.8 km) of the lower 100 miles (160.9 km) of the White River
White River (Arkansas)
The White River is a 722-mile long river that flows through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Missouri.-Course:The source of the White River is in the Boston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest southeast of Fayetteville...
. It also includes 3 miles (4.8 km) of the Arkansas Post Canal which is part of the Army Corps of Engineers' McClellan-Kerr Navigation System on the Arkansas River
Arkansas River
The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...
.
The refuge has the largest concentration of wintering mallard ducks in the Mississippi Flyway
Mississippi Flyway
The Mississippi Flyway is a bird migration route that generally follows the Mississippi River in the United States and the Mackenzie River in Canada. The main endpoints of the flyway include central Canada and the region surrounding the Gulf of Mexico...
. It also has large concentrations of snow and Canada geese. The refuge is home to a population of black bears
American black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
and four active bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
nests. It is believed by some to host one of the last populations of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
Ivory-billed Woodpecker
The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is or was one of the largest woodpeckers in the world, at roughly 20 inches in length and 30 inches in wingspan. It was native to the virgin forests of the southeastern United States...
, a bird variously considered extinct or nearly so.
The refuge lies with the Mississippi lowland forests
Mississippi lowland forests
The Mississippi lowland forests are a temperate broadleaf and mixed forest ecoregion in the eastern United States, covering an area of .-Setting:...
ecoregion. Within the refuge, the Sugarberry Natural Area includes a 973 acres (393.8 ha) old-growth bottomland hardwood forest of varied composition. The area contains four forest types: American Sweetgum
American Sweetgum
Liquidambar styraciflua, commonly called the American sweetgum, sweet-gum, alligator-wood, American-storax, bilsted, red-gum, satin-walnut, or star-leaved gum, is a deciduous tree in the genus Liquidambar native to warm temperate areas of eastern North America and tropical montane regions of Mexico...
, Nuttall's Oak
Nuttall's Oak
Quercus texana, commonly known as Nuttall's Oak , is a fast growing large deciduous Oak tree native to North America from the lower Mississippi river valley from SE Missouri to Southern Louisiana and SE Texas and East through Mississippi to Central Alabama...
, Willow Oak
Willow Oak
Quercus phellos is a deciduous tree in the red oak group of oaks. It is native to eastern North America from southern New York south to northern Florida, and west to southernmost Illinois and eastern Texas...
; Sugarberry, American Elm
American Elm
Ulmus americana, generally known as the American Elm or, less commonly, as the White Elm or Water Elm, is a species native to eastern North America, occurring from Nova Scotia west to Alberta and Montana, and south to Florida and central Texas. The American elm is an extremely hardy tree that can...
, Green Ash
Green Ash
Fraxinus pennsylvanica is a species of ash native to eastern and central North America, from Nova Scotia west to southeastern Alberta and eastern Colorado, south to northern Florida, and southwest to eastern Texas....
; American Sycamore
American sycamore
Platanus occidentalis, also known as American Sycamore, American plane, Occidental plane, and Buttonwood, is one of the species of Platanus native to North America...
, Pecan
Pecan
The pecan , Carya illinoinensis, is a species of hickory, native to south-central North America, in Mexico from Coahuila south to Jalisco and Veracruz, in the United States from southern Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana east to western Kentucky, southwestern Ohio, North Carolina, South...
, American Elm
American Elm
Ulmus americana, generally known as the American Elm or, less commonly, as the White Elm or Water Elm, is a species native to eastern North America, occurring from Nova Scotia west to Alberta and Montana, and south to Florida and central Texas. The American elm is an extremely hardy tree that can...
; and Baldcypress.
The refuge has 356 natural and man-made lakes which make up 4000 acres (16.2 km²) of the refuge. There are 154000 acres (623.2 km²) of forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
land, 900 acres (3.6 km²) of agricultural land, and 1000 acres (4 km²) of grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
.
The refuge is classified as a Wetland of International Importance.