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Description:
D'Arbonne NWR was established in 1975 as an enhancement project for the U.S. Corps of Engineers Ouachita/Black Rivers' Navigation project. Located just north of West Monroe, LA, it lies on the western edge of the 75 mile-wide Mississippi Alluvial Plain. The central physical feature is the Bayou D'Arbonne. Permanent water area on the refuge includes oxbow lakes, side channels of Bayou D'Arbonne and bottomland flooded on a year-round basis. This flooding results from backwater from the Columbia Lock and Dam on the Ouachita River. High water levels may inundate up to 87% of the refuge duirng January through May but may occur other times depending on rainfall. The varied environments on D'Arbonne NWR provide excellent habitat for a diversity of migratory birds and resident wildlife -- the purpose of the refuge. Other objectives include: preserve bottomland hardwoods and provide wintering habitat for migratory waterfowl; provide habitat and protection for threatened/endangered species (red-cockaded woodpecker, bald eagle, and alligator); provide opportunities for environmental education, interpretation, and wildlife-oriented recreation. Directions:
The office is located six miles north of West Monroe, LA at the intersection of LA HWY 143 and Holland's Bluff Road.
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