Mission and History
Key Points
Back Bay NWR was established for migratory birds. This purpose continues to drive Refuge management.
The Bay has experienced many changes over the last century, with improvements in the last 25 years.
The Refuge works closely with state agencies regarding the health of the watershed.
Tundra swans, Canada geese and a large variety of ducks visit the Refuge during the winter migration. Refuge waterfowl populations usually peak during December, January and early February. The Refuge also provides habitat for other wildlife, including such threatened and endangered species as the loggerhead sea turtle, and recovered species like the brown pelican and bald eagle.
Refuge Mission
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's mission is, working with others, to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge was established on June 6, 1938 as a 4,589-acre wildlife refuge in the southeastern corner of what is now the City of Virginia Beach (formerly Princess Anne County). The original 1938 Executive Order established Back Bay NWR “….as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife.” Another of the Refuge’s primary purposes (for lands acquired under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act) is “… use as an inviolate sanctuary, or for any other management purpose, for migratory birds.”
The Refuge is part of the Atlantic Flyway, a migratory bird route that follows the East Coast of the United States. A decline in waterfowl populations during the last half of the 19th century and first part of the 20th century were the driving factor for the creation of many national wildlife refuges, including Back Bay NWR. The Refuge continually focuses on this establishment purpose to provide high quality habitat for migratory birds throughout the year.
History of the Refuge and Back Bay Area
The Back Bay area was once known as a wildfowler's paradise, as evidenced by the dozens of hunt clubs that surrounded Back Bay at the turn of the 20th century. During the 20th century the Back Bay saw many changes. In the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps, part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal program, worked to create sand dunes in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. This project was undertaken by planting grasses and constructing dune fencing. Over the subsequent decades the sand dunes along this stretch of coastline grew, eventually cutting off all ocean washover. Prior to the formation of the sand dunes the ocean frequently washed over this thin, flat strip of barrier island. Once this salt water washover disappeared the Back Bay gradually transitioned to a nearly freshwater ecosystem, which is what we find today. Waterfowl enjoyed plentiful underwater grasses and an important largemouth bass fishery emerged by the mid-1900s.
By the 1970s and 1980s, however, water quality in Back Bay suffered due to a number of human causes, including runoff from agricultural areas, new infrastructure development and the opening of a channel to a lake north of the bay through dredged canals. As water quality declined, concentrations of underwater vegetation also diminished. Without underwater vegetation the largemouth bass fishery collapsed and waterfowl were unable to find the food they needed in the Back Bay. During this time Back Bay NWR worked with partners to create an impoundment complex. This impoundment complex now consists of a series of ten connected water pools. The water levels of these impoundments can be raised and lowered to provide the best habitat for the type of birds using the Refuge during a given season. The impoundment complex continues to provide a healthy and productive for migratory birds.
In addition to the impoundment complex, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pursued a land acquisition program, beginning in the 1980s, to protect the watershed and enhance wildlife habitat in the area immediately surrounding the Back Bay. Since 1988 the Refuge has grown to 9,175 acres, protecting critical habitat for wildlife. A local non-profit organization, the Friends of Back Bay, was instrumental in gaining approval for the expansion and obtaining $24 million of funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to purchase land from willing sellers surrounding the Back Bay. The expansion provided a buffer against development, reducing erosion and runoff into Back Bay.
Fortunately, the water quality in Back Bay has improved over the last twenty years. A number of changes in the surrounding landscape, including changes to farming practices, improvements to development practices, the Refuge land acquisition program and a weir at Lake Tecumseh (an annual source of tons of sediment flowing into the bay) have all played a part in the improvement of the Bay's ecosystem. Underwater grass beds are returning, as are populations of largemouth bass and other fish. Waterbirds are now able to use both the impoundment complex and the Back Bay for habitat. The health of the bay still may not be pristine but recent improvements are encouraging.
While the wildlife refuge is comprised of 9,175 acres of land, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, manage the waters of Back Bay. The Refuge and state agencies work together and share information about the health of the watershed.