Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge | |
---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
Location | Georgia and Florida, United States |
Nearest city | Folkston, Georgia |
Coordinates | 30°44′11″N 82°07′19″W / 30.7363429°N 82.1220627°W[1] |
Area | 402,000 acres (1,627 km2) |
Established | 1937 |
Visitors | 400,000 (in 2007) |
Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
Website | Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge |
Designated | 18 December 1986 |
Reference no. | 350[2] |
The Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge is a 402,000‑acre (1,627 km2) National Wildlife Refuge located in Charlton, Ware, and Clinch Counties of Georgia, and Baker County in Florida, United States. The refuge is administered from offices in Folkston, Georgia. The refuge was established in 1937 to protect a majority of the 438,000 acre (1,772 km2) Okefenokee Swamp.[3][4] Though often translated as "land of trembling earth", the name "Okefenokee" is likely derived from Hitchiti oki fanôːki "bubbling water".[5]
Nearly 400,000 people visit the refuge each year, making it the 16th most visited refuge in the
History
The swamp has a rich human history including Native American settlement, explorations by
Native Americans inhabited
The Suwannee Canal Company purchased 238,120 acres (963 km2) of the Okefenokee Swamp from the State of Georgia in 1891 to drain the swamp for rice, sugar cane, and cotton plantations.[7] When this failed, the company began industrial wetland logging as a source of income.[7] Captain Henry Jackson and his crews spent three years digging the Suwannee Canal 11.5 miles (18.5 km) into the swamp.[7]
Economic recessions led to the company's bankruptcy and eventual sale to Charles Hebard in 1901.[7] Logging operations, focusing on the cypress, began in 1909 after a railroad was constructed on the northwest area of the swamp.[7] More than 431 million board feet (1,020,000 m3) of timber were removed from the Okefenokee by 1927, when logging operations ceased.[7]
The Okefenokee Preservation Society, formed in 1918, promoted nationwide interest in the swamp.[3] With the support of state and local interests and numerous conservation and scientific organizations, the Federal Government acquired most of the swamp for refuge purposes in 1936.[3]
In 1937, with Executive Order 7593 (later amended by Executive Order 7994), President
In 1974, to further ensure the protection of this unique ecosystem, the interior sections of the refuge were designated a National Wilderness Area.[7]
In 1986, the Okefenokee Refuge was designated by the
A wildfire which began with a lightning strike near the center of the Refuge on May 5, 2007 merged with another wildfire that had begun near Waycross, Georgia on April 16 due to a tree falling on a power line. By May 28, more than 580,000 acres (2,300 km2) had burned in the region, or more than 900 square miles (2300 km2).[8][9]
In September 2023, the National Park Service announced that the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge would be nominated as Georgia's first World Heritage Site.[10]
Geography
Okefenokee NWR has an approved acquisition boundary of 519,480 acres (2,102 km2), which is 123,480 acres (500 km2) larger than its current area.[3] Approximately 371,000 acres (1,500 km2) of the Okefenokee Swamp wetlands are incorporated into the refuge. 353,981 acres (1,432 km2) within the swamp were designated as the Okefenokee Wilderness, a part of the National Wilderness Preservation System when the Okefenokee Wilderness Act was passed in 1974, making it the third largest wilderness east of the Mississippi River.[3]
The Okefenokee Swamp is a vast
The Okefenokee Swamp is one of the world's largest intact freshwater ecosystems.[11] It has been designated a Wetland of International Importance by the United Nations under the Ramsar Convention of 1971.[11] The swamp is compared through research to wetlands worldwide.[11] It is world-renowned for its amphibian populations that are bio-indicators of global health. Water from the Suwannee River Sill area is used as a standard reference by scientists throughout the world.[11]
The slow-moving waters of the Okefenokee are tea-colored due to the
The swamp contains numerous islands and lakes, along with vast areas of non-forested habitat.[7] Prairies cover about 60,000 acres (240 km2) of the swamp.[7] Once forested, these expanses of marsh were created during periods of severe drought when fires burned out vegetation and the top layers of peat.[7] The prairies harbor a variety of wading birds: herons, egrets, ibises, cranes, and bitterns.[7]
Refuge staff manages 33,000 acres (130 km2) of
Refuge staff and volunteers work to preserve the natural qualities of the swamp, provide habitat for a variety of wildlife, and provide recreational opportunities for visitors.
The Okefenokee is a
Wildlife and protected species
With its varied habitats, the Okefenokee has become an area known for its abundance of plants and animals. There are 621 species of plants growing in the swamp,[12] including the Longleaf Pine tree.[13] Animals include 39 fish, 37 amphibian, 64 reptile, 234 bird, and 50 mammal species.[12] The Okefenokee Swamp is world renowned for its amphibian populations that are bio-indicators of global health.[3]
Wildlife species include Florida
The swamp habitat also provides for
Facilities
There are opportunities for hiking, hunting, fishing, canoeing, boating, photography and wildlife observation.
Visitor center
The Richard S. Bolt Visitor Center at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge was built in 1967, with an auditorium addition in the early 1980s.[4] The 5,000-square-foot (460 m2) building is cedar-sided with open, vaulted ceilings and flagstone floors.[4] It houses exhibits, Okefenokee Wildlife League bookstore sales area, office space for staff and volunteers, storage, and a 100-seat surround-sound auditorium.[4]
Chesser Island
In the late 19th century, W.T. Chesser and his family settled a small island on the eastern edge of the Okefenokee Swamp. He settled on a 592‑acre (2.4 km2) island, now known as Chesser Island.[4] The Chesser homestead still stands on the island. The last of the Chessers left the island in 1958, but many members of the Chesser family remain in the local area.[4]
Fishing
Lakes and slow-flowing water trails, called "runs," cover much of the Okefenokee. More than 60 lakes dot the refuge, with depths ranging from a few feet to 15 feet (4.6 m). The largest, Billy's Lake, is 3½ miles long and 100 to 250 yards (230 m) wide. Fishing is permitted year round in accordance with Georgia State fishing laws. Using live bait fish or trot lines is prohibited.[4]
Canoeing and boating
There are 121 miles (195 km) of trails in the swamp, of which 70 are open to day-use motorboat 10 horsepower (7.5 kW) and under. Seven overnight shelters are available in the swamp's interior. The refuge has six different boating trails (Red, Green, Blue, Purple, Orange, and Brown) giving users a choice of twelve different overnight canoe trips. [14]
Trails
- Swamp Island Drive – a 9-mile (14 km) driving, biking and walking loop. Scattered throughout the drive are walking trails, wildlife openings and hardwood plots. Additionally, the drive leads to the Chesser Homestead, Boardwalk and Observation tower.
- There are several canoe trails and camping shelters for visitors to enjoy. Some useful coordinates for canoeing and camping:
- Refuge's East Entrance coordinates (Visitor Center): N30.73803° W082.14135°
- Monkey Lake: N30.67493° W82.20594°
- Monkey Lake Shelter: N30.67439° W82.20601°
- Coffee Bay Shelter: N30.76133° W082.22659°
- Restroom on Suwannee Canal: N30.73811° W82.17332°
- Coordinates for junction points (see Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Map to locate them):
- Junction of Suwannee Canal and Prairie Lakes Run: N30.73708° W82.17473°
- Junction of Prairie Lakes Run and Tater Rake: N30.72608° W082.18269°
- Those canoeing North on Prairie Lakes Run towards Coffee Bay Shelter can take Tater Rake as a shortcut. Useful coordinates on that shortcut:
- Tater Rake and Suwannee Canal: N30.73704° W082.18188°
- North End of Tater Rake & Cutoff (from Suwannee Canal): N30.73641° W82.17790°
Access
There are three major entrances to Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, each with its own facilities and special character. From the open, wet "prairies" of the east side to the forested cypress swamps on the west, Okefenokee is a mosaic of habitats, plants, and wildlife. Entrance fees are required at each entrance.
- East Entrance – main U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service entrance, located 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Folkston, Georgia
- West Entrance – Stephen C. Foster State Park, located 17 miles (27 km) east of Fargo, Georgia
- North Entrance – Okefenokee Swamp Park, located eight miles (13 km) south of Waycross, Georgia
See also
- Bugaboo scrub fire
- List of National Wildlife Refuges
- Okefenokee Swamp
References
- ^ "Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
- ^ "Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Federal Register Volume 70, No. 147, pp. 44355–44357 – Tuesday August 2, 2005
- ^ a b c d e f g U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, URL retrieved June 15, 2006
- ISBN 9780160487743.
- ^ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, General Brochure, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, URL retrieved September 7, 2023
- ^ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the originalon 2006-02-25.
- Georgia Forestry Commission. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
- ^ "Massive Blaze in S.E. Georgia Jumps Fire Lines - News4Georgia Story - WJXT Jacksonville". www.news4jax.com. Archived from the original on 24 May 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
- ^ Nolin, Jill (2023-09-25). "Okefenokee Swamp refuge will be nominated for high-profile World Heritage designation". Georgia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
- ^ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the originalon 2015-06-16.
- ^ U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ^ "Wildlife & Habitat - Okefenokee - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service". www.fws.gov. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
- ISBN 1-56044-613-7.