Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge
Template:Short description Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates
Template:Infobox protected area The Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge (DFNWR) is part of the United States system of National Wildlife Refuges, and is a critical resource for wildfowl that migrate along the Central Flyway in Spring and Fall.<ref name="travelOK">"Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge." TravelOK. Undated. Accessed February 26, 2018.</ref> It is located in Eastern Oklahoma, near the city of Okmulgee. The preserve runs along both banks of the Deep Fork River for about Template:Convert. According to TravelOK, DFNWR receives about 45,000 visitors every year.<ref name="travelOK"/> Template:Stack
Description
The refuge was established in June 1993 and dedicated in February 1995.<ref name="EOHC-DFNWR">O'Dell, Larry. Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture. "Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge."[1]</ref> The land within its legal boundaries is Template:Convert of which about Template:Convert were publicly owned in 2015.<ref name="acreage" /> Additional land will be purchased from willing sellers as funds are available,<ref name="fws.gov">"Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge" http://www.fws.gov/refugees/profiles/index.cfm?id=21592, accessed 20 Jun 2012</ref> and until the refuge reaches its legal limit in size.<ref name="travelOK"/>
The refugee is a narrow ribbon of wetlands, oxbow lakes, swamps, and upland forests along the meandering Deep Fork River. More than 80 percent of the refuge floods annually, thus providing excellent habitat for waterfowl and a wide variety of other animals, including white-tailed deer, bald eagles, and wild turkey. 254 species of birds and 51 species of mammals have been recorded in the refuge. Four wildlife species of special concern abound here (the river otter, Bell’s vireo, alligator snapping turtle, and the northern scarlet snake).<ref name="travelOK"/><ref name="wildernet.com">"Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge" http://www.wildernet.com/pages/area/cfm?areaID=OKNWRDF&CU_ID=1, accessed 20 Jun 2012</ref> Beavers are so numerous as to be considered pests, as are feral hogs.<ref name="fws.gov"/>
Most of the vegetation in the refuge is bottomland forests of oak, pecan, elm, hickory, ash, sugarberry, walnut, river birch, and willow. The area has been logged in the past and most of the forest is still relatively young, although a few patches of mature forests can be found.<ref name="wildernet.com"/> New hardwood growth sprouts near the river, then spreads more widely in the refuge when the floods come.<ref name="travelOK"/>
Recreation
Most of the refuge is open to the public year-round. Several parking areas scattered around the refuge give access to visitors for bird watching, hunting, fishing, hiking, and boating. A fishing area is maintained on Montezuma Creek.<ref name="travelOK"/> Near the headquarters the Cussetah Bottoms Boardwalk leads through forests, swamps, and beaver ponds for about one-half mile. In the southernmost part of the refuge a trail through forests follows an old railroad grade, thus elevating it above the frequently-flooded land. Deer, rabbits, squirrel, turkey, and ducks can also be hunted. The Deep Fork River is noted for large Flathead catfish and also has other species. Kayaking is popular in the refuge. The refuge has 22 parking lots connected to the hunting and wildlife observation areas by Template:Convert of trails and unimproved roads.<ref name="travelOK"/> Off-road vehicles are prohibited.<ref name="fws.gov"/>
The Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge is bordered on the north by the Okmulgee Wildlife Management area (OWMA) of Template:Convert. Deep Fork River runs for Template:Convert through the OWMA, which is mostly upland and hilly rather than flat and swampy, as the refuge is. Adjoining the refuge on the south is the Eufaula Wildlife Management area which preserves another Template:Convert of the Deep Fork River to its mouth at Eufaula Lake. Land in Eufaula WMA is similar in character to the refuge. The three areas together preserve in a near natural state more than Template:Convert and Template:Convert of the Deep Fork River.<ref>Delorme Topo USA, 6.0</ref>
References
External links
Template:Protected areas of Oklahoma Template:National Wildlife Refuges of the United States