Welcome to White River NWR
Buck Lake in November. Credit: Richard Hines
White River National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1935 for the protection of migratory birds. The refuge lies in the floodplain of the White River near where it meets the mighty Mississippi River. Long and narrow, three to ten miles wide and almost ninety miles long, the refuge is one of the largest remaining bottomland hardwood forests in the Mississippi River Valley. The refuge's fertile forests and three hundred lakes are interlaced with streams, sloughs, and bayous. The result is a haven for a myriad of native wildlife and migratory birds.
White River National Wildlife Refuge is one of over 550 National Wildlife Refuges in the United States. Managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in the Department of the Interior, the National Wildlife Refuges encompass over 95 million acres of land for wildlife.
The mission of the Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
UPDATES:
Hunting season update
As of November 18, 2009, White River National Wildlife Refuge and all out-tracks are closed to deer hunting due to flooding.
UWhite River National Wildlife Refuge and all out-tracks are closed to deer hunting due to flooding.
The North Unit of the refuge closed to deer hunting when the White River reached 23 feet at St. Charles and will not reopen until the level falls below 21 feet as recorded by the following website: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/html/whitervr.htm . The river at Saint Charles is currently at 27 feet and projected to remain above 21 feet throughout the fall season.
The South Unit closed to all deer hunting when the White River gauge at St. Charles reached 23 feet and the tailwater gauge reading at Norrel Lock and Dam #1 reached 145 feet simultaneously and will not reopen until the gauge reaches 21 and 143 feet as reported by the following website: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/html/whitervr.htm This message will be updated as changes occur.
All roads are closed except for Jacks Bay Road to the Jacks Bay Campground and boat ramp.
