Patoka River
National Wildlife Refuge
Contacting the Refuge:
Complex Manager: Bill McCoy
e-mail: Bill_McCoy@fws.govP.O. Box 217
510 1/2 West Morton Street
Oakland City, IN 47660
Phone: 812-749-3199
Fax: 812-749-3059
TTY: 1-800-877-8339 (Federal Relay)The refuge is located in Pike and Gibson Counties, near Oakland City
Refuge Brochure (157k pdf format)
Refuge Facts
Established: 1994
Refuge acres: 5,131
682 acres in two outlying Wildlife Management Areas
Acres authorized: 22,083
The Patoka River Project will consist of 6,800 acres of National Wildlife Refuge and 15,283 acres of Wildlife Management Area; this differentiation is necessary to avoid conflicts with the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act and the area’s surface coal mining industry
River corridor project will encompass 30 miles of the Patoka River and 19 miles of oxbows with a total of 12,700 acres of existing wetlands
Refuge will provide some of the best wood duck production habitat in the state
Financial Impact of Refuge
Three person staff
18,000 visitors annually
FY 2006 Budget: $452,000
Natural History
One of the most significant bottomland hardwood forests remaining in the state
Supports over 380 species of wildlife, including the threatened bald eagle and endangered Indiana bat
Refuge Objectives
Provide resting, nesting and feeding habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds
Provide habitat for resident wildlife
Protect endangered and threatened species
Provide for biodiversity
Provide public opportunities for outdoor recreation and environmental education
Restore, protect and manage the river corridor of bottomland hardwood wetlands
Partner with others to restore fish and wildlife habitat and improve water quality in southwest Indiana
Highlight
In cooperation with the refuge, Ducks Unlimited, Duke Energy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Indiana DNR have been working together to secure a $1 million grant to construct a 60-acre nesting pool for the endangered interior least tern
Priorities
Create approximately 90 acres of moist soil habitat
Enhance the refuge biological program
Enhance public use program
Public Use Opportunities
Hiking
Hunting and fishing
Environmental education
Wildlife observation
Canoeing
