Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge

Protected area in Alabama, United States

Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge

IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)

Location| Choctaw County, Alabama, United States
Nearest city| Coffeeville, Alabama
Coordinates| 31°49′15.2688″N 88°11′03.9228″W﻿ / ﻿31.820908000°N 88.184423000°W﻿ / 31.820908000; -88.184423000
Area| 4,218 acres (17.07 km²)
Established| 1964
Visitors| 30,000 (in 2004)
Governing body| U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Website| Choctaw NWR

The Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge is a 4,218 acre (17.07 km2) National Wildlife Refuge located along the Tombigbee River near Coffeeville, Alabama. Named after the Choctaw tribe, it was established to provide a wood duck brood habitat and serve as a protected wintering area for waterfowl.

Of the 4,218 acres (17.07 km2) of the refuge, approximately 1,802 acres (7.29 km2) of lakes, sloughs, and creeks, 2,265 acres (9.17 km2) of bottomland hardwoods, and 151 acres (0.61 km2) of croplands and moist soil units. The facility has a four-person staff with a $882,000 (FY 2005) annual budget.

The refuge also manages an additional 236 acres (0.96 km2) in perpetual conservation easements in eight parcels in Monroe, Sumter and Conecuh counties.

## History

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Choctaw NWR was established in 1964 on lands acquired by the Corps of Engineers in conjunction with the Coffeeville Lock and Dam project.

Map of Choctaw NWR

## Topography

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The 4,218 acre (17.07 km2) refuge encompasses approximately 1,802 acres (7.29 km2) of lakes, sloughs, and creeks, 2,265 acres (9.17 km2) of bottomland hardwoods, and 151 acres (0.61 km2) of croplands and moist soil units.

The refuge borders the Tombigbee River (and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway) for 6.5 miles (10.5 km). Okatuppa and Turkey Creeks divide the refuge into three unites. The river and the creeks make a large portion of the refuge accessible only by boat. The entire refuge is subject to annual Spring flooding.

## Wildlife and protected species

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Four hundred nest boxes are maintained for wood ducks resulting in the hatching of approximately 2500 birds each year. Wintering waterfowl numbers can exceed 10,000. In addition to the moist soil, crops such as millet, milo, wheat, and clover are grown in fields for the benefit of both waterfowl and resident wildlife.

In addition, numerous neotropical migrant and wading birds benefit from management activities. Following a successful bald eagle program in the early 1990s the refuge hosts a nesting pair of eagles each winter. In the summer, wood storks can be found resting and feeding in the back-water sloughs and moist soil units. Other wildlife include white-tailed deer, gray squirrels, turkey, raccoons, opossum, alligator, and beaver.

## Facilities

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A small research facility, "Cypess Tupelo Research Natural Area" encompasses 35 acres (140,000 m2) and is protected from the damaging effects of beavers on individual trees and water management.

Choctaw NWR offers opportunities for fishing, boating, hunting, hiking, and wildlife observation. A .75 mile trail leads to a wildlife observation platform overlooking the moist soil unit.

Fishing is popular with bass, white perch, catfish, and bream in abundance throughout the creeks and rivers. Second in popularity is hunting. White-tailed deer and feral hogs may be hunted as well as squirrel, rabbit, and raccoon.

## Images

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## See also

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* List of National Wildlife Refuges

## External links

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* Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge homepage
* FWS profile of Choctaw NWR
* Recreation.gov overview
* Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge GORP site

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Protected areas of Alabama

Federal|

| National Estuarine Research Reserves|

* Weeks Bay

|

National Forests|

* Conecuh
* Talladega
* Tuskegee
* William B. Bankhead

National Historic Sites|

* Tuskegee Airmen
* Tuskegee Institute

National Military Parks|

* Horseshoe Bend

National Monuments|

* Birmingham Civil Rights
* Freedom Riders
* Russell Cave

National Parkways|

* Natchez Trace

National Preserves|

* Little River Canyon

National Trails|

* Natchez Trace
* Selma to Montgomery
* Trail of Tears

National Wild and Scenic Rivers|

* Sipsey Fork

National Wildlife Refuges|

* Bon Secour
* Cahaba River
* Choctaw
* Eufaula
* Fern Cave
* Key Cave
* Mountain Longleaf
* Sauta Cave
* Watercress Darter
* Wheeler

Other|

* National Historic Landmarks
* National Natural Landmarks
* National Register of Historic Places
* Wilderness Areas

State|

| State Parks|

* Bladon Springs
* Blue Springs
* Buck's Pocket
* Cathedral Caverns
* Chattahoochee
* Cheaha
* Chewacla
* Chickasaw
* Confederate Memorial Park
* DeSoto
* Florala
* Frank Jackson
* Gulf
* Joe Wheeler
* Lake Guntersville
* Lake Lurleen
* Lakepoint
* Meaher
* Monte Sano
* Oak Mountain
* Paul M. Grist
* Rickwood Caverns
* Roland Cooper
* Tannehill Ironworks
* Wind Creek

|

State Forests|

* Choccolocco
* Hauss
* Geneva
* Little River
* Macon
* Weogufka

Wildlife Management Areas|

* Charles D. Kelley Autuaga County
* Barbour
* Black Warrior
* Blue Spring
* Boggy Hollow
* Choccolocco
* Coosa
* Dallas County
* David K. Nelson
* Freedom Hills
* Geneva State Forest
* Grand Bay Savanna
* Hollins
* Jackson County Waterfowl Management Areas and Refuges
* James D. Martin-Skyline
* Lauderdale
* Little River
* Lowndes
* Martin Community Hunting Area
* W.L. Holland and Mobile–Tensaw River Delta
* Mulberry Fork
* Sam R. Murphy
* Oakmulgee
* Perdido River
* Red Hills
* Riverton Community Hunting Area
* Seven-Mile Island
* Swan Creek
* Mallard-Fox Creek
* Upper Delta
* William R. Ireland Sr. - Cahaba River
* Yates Lake

Special Opportunity Areas|

* Blackwater River
* Cedar Creek
* Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge
* Crow Creek
* Fred T. Simpson
* Little River State Forest
* Portland Landing
* Prairie Glades
* Thigpen Hill
* Uchee Creek
* Upper State

Forever Wild Land Tracts|

* M. Barnett Lawley - State Cattle Ranch Field Trial Area
* Big Canoe Creek
* Blowing Springs Cave Nature Preserve
* Bon Secour Swift School Nature Preserve
* Cahaba River Park
* Certain Nature Preserve and Recreation Area
* Coldwater Mountain - Doug Ghee Nature Preserve
* Coon Creek
* Coon Gulf - Glawson
* D’Olive Bay
* Forever Wild Trails at Beaver Creek
* Heron Bay Wetlands
* Hinds Road Outcrop
* Lillian Swamp Complex
* Live Oak Landing
* Old Cahawba Prairie Preserve
* Pike County Pocosin
* Portersville Bay Wetlands
* Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve
* Billingsley-McClure Shoal Creek Preserve
* Ruth McClellan Abronski Splinter Hill Bog Preserve
* Turkey Creek Nature Preserve
* Upper Wolfe Bay Savannah and Marsh
* Wehle

Canoe Trails|

* Bartram Canoe Trails System
* Perdido River Canoe Trail

Alabama Historical Sites|

* Alabama State Capitol
* Belle Mont Historic House
* Bottle Creek Indian Mounds State Archaeological Site
* Confederate Memorial Park
* Fendall Hall Historic House
* The Forks of Cypress State Archaeological Site
* Fort Mims State Historic Site
* Fort Morgan State Historic Site
* Fort Toulouse-Fort Jackson State Historic Site
* Freedom Rides Museum
* Gaineswood Historic House
* Historic Blakeley State Park
* Magnolia Grove Historic House
* Middle Bay Lighthouse Historic Lighthouse
* Moundville Archaeological Park
* Old Cahawba Archeological Park
* Pond Spring Historic House

Other protected areas|

* Barton's Beach Preserve
* Blevins Gap Nature Preserve
* Buttahatchie River Watershed Landscape Conservation Area
* Cahaba River Landscape Conservation Area
* Chitwood Barrens Preserve
* Coosa Bog Preserve
* Dennis Cove Preserve
* Dry Creek Preserve
* Fenvkvcēkv Creek Preserve
* Gulf Islands Landscape Conservation Area
* Kathy Stiles Freeland Bibb County Glades Preserve
* Keel Mountain Preserve
* Lower Perdido Islands Landscape Conservation Area
* Mobile-Tensaw Delta Landscape Conservation Area
* Paint Rock River Landscape Conservation Area
* Perdido River Preserve
* Perry Lakes Park
* Prairie Grove Glade Preserve
* Pratt's Ferry Preserve
* Rabbit Island Preserve
* Roberta Case Pine Hills Preserve
* Roy B. Whitaker Preserve
* Walls of Jericho Preserve
* Wheeler Mountain

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (web)

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National Wildlife Refuges of the United States

* Alabama
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* American Samoa
* Guam
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* U.S. Minor Outlying Islands
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Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States
* Israel

Other|

* Yale LUX

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