EufaulaNational Wildlife Refuge

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Established in 1964,Eufaula NationalWildlife Refuge is locatedon both banks of theChattahoochee River insoutheast Alabama andsouthwest Georgia.Named after the city ofEufaula, the 11,184 acrerefuge offers a variety ofwetland and uplandhabitats for a diversefauna. Prominent amongthe abundant wetlands isthe impounded LakeEufaula and severaltributaries. The refuge islocated about seven milesnorth of Eufaula.

IntroductionEufaula Refuge was establishedthrough community support and incooperation with the Corps ofEngineers to provide habitat forwintering waterfowl and othermigratory and resident species. Itprovides habitat and protection forendangered and threatened speciessuch as the bald eagle, wood stork,American alligator and the occasionalperegrine falcon. The refugelandscape offers a diverse contrast toadjacent land uses. A mixture ofwetlands, croplands, woodlands andgrasslands creates a mosaic ofwildlife-rich habitats.

Eufaula Refugebelongs to asystem of over540 refugesthroughout thecountry, eachproviding aunique piece ofpuzzle securingthe necessaryhabitats neededto protect plantsand animals andprovidingoutdoorrecreationalopportunities forpeople. EufaulaRefuge providesvaluable winterhabitat formigrating

waterfowl. Another valuable role inthe system of national refuges,Eufaula Refuge provides resting andnesting habitat for numerousneotropical migrant birds (song birds)that make their way to and fromNorth, Central and South America.

This blue goose,designed byJ.N. “Ding” Darling,has become a symbolof the NationalWildlife RefugeSystem.

EufaulaNationalWildlifeRefuge

Photography courtesy of Quincy Banks

Cover photo: greategrets; above:Eastern bluebirds;below: Americanlotus

Past to PresentPrior to settlers arriving, theChattahoochee Valley was home tothe Creek Indians. They hunted,fished and trapped along the oldchannels of the river, often settlingalong the shoreline in areas nowinundated by the Walter F. GeorgeReservoir. Evidences of this pasthistory are still found throughoutthe area.

Settlers slowly cleared forests foragricultural purposes during the1800s and well into the 1900s. Muchof the cleared plantations wereplanted to short rotation pine afterWorld War II as the timber businessbecame a major industry in theSouth. Gone are the large tracts ofold growth hardwood and mixedhardwood/pine that once providedvaluable habitat for many migratingsongbirds.

WildlifeMigratory BirdsEufaula Refuge lies on the easternedge of the Mississippi Flyway, oneof four recognized major migrationcorridors in the U.S. Many species ofwaterfowl, waterbirds, shorebirds,neotropical songbirds and birds ofprey follow these loosely definedcorridors as they migrate through,Woodstorks

over-winter or nest in theChattahoochee Valley and on EufaulaRefuge. Numerous species ofwaterfowl arrive in the fall andremain in the area into early spring.The spring and fall are busy times forneotropical migrant songbird visitorsas they complete their long migrationflights between North American andSouth America. Some of these speciesnest on the refuge and neighboringtracts of timber. Eufaula Refugemanages wetland habitats for severalrookeries where great blue herons,little blue herons, great egrets,snowy egrets and anhingas nest.Eufaula Refuge also serves as thesummer home to wood storks and awinter stop for sandhill cranes. Therefuge bird list has almost 300species documented.

Endangered SpeciesThe Southern bald eagle is commonlysighted throughout most of the year.Several nests are located in the areaand the future for this magnificentnational symbol appears to be good.The refuge staff cooperates with theAlabama and Georgia conservationagencies and the U.S. Army Corps ofEngineers in monitoring theprogress of the bald eagle in theChattahoochee Valley.

Eastern kingbird

Green heron

The wood stork historically nested insouth Alabama, but there are nocurrent records of active nestings.Efforts are under way to provideoptimum habitat for the less than 100birds that visit Eufaula Refuge Junethrough September. Hopefully, theseunusual “mud-feeders” will some daynest on the refuge.

Alligators are commonly seen,especially on cool sunny days.Current population estimates exceed

1000 individuals;nesting doesoccur. Some‘gators mayreach fourteenfeet in length.Althoughtechnically notendangered, theyare stillprotected underthe EndangeredSpecies Act.Observe thesecreatures from adistance, watchyour pets and donot feedalligators.

Other WildlifeThe refugehabitat providesfor diverse andsometimesabundantpopulations ofother species. Avisitors’ ability toobserve wildlifedepends on thetime of year, time

of day and duration of visit.

In addition to the species alreadymentioned, a visitor could expect tosee deer, turkey, quail, dove, hawks,owls, rabbits, armadillos, squirrel,raccoon, opossum, otter, coyotes,

Above: Americanalligator; below:Canada geese

Closed to All Entry

Refuge Headquarters

Observation Platform

Boat Ramp

Wildlife Drive

Walking Trail

Refuge Boundary

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ROOD CREEK LANDINGRecreational Area(Corps of Engineers)

BRADLEYIMPOUNDMENT

bobcats and beaver. There arenumerous other species ofshorebirds, waterbirds, wading birds,songbirds and resident mammals. Wecannot forget large populations ofreptiles, amphibians, insects andfishes. Visitors should be aware ofseveral species of poisonous snakesand the seasonal irritation ofmosquitos, horse-flies and deer flies.

ManagingHabitatHabitatmanagementgenerally fallsinto four majorhabitat types—wetlands,croplands,woodlands, andgrasslands.Managementpractices includeenhancement ofnatural eventsincludingprescribed fireand seasonalflooding of

vegetation to provide wetlands forwaterfowl and other species.Agricultural practices also provideadded wildlife food and habitat.

These practices are carried out withwildlife goals in mind, never as aneconomic benefit. Cropland shares ofcorn, peanuts and small grains are leftfor waterfowl, resident species andother migrant birds. Woodlands aremanaged primarily for residentspecies and migrant songbirds.Grasslands and early succession oldfields are maintained as diversity foralmost all refuge species.

Wetland management, other than thescheduled fluctuation of the reservoirby the Corps of Engineers, requiresconsiderable effort to dewaterimpounded areas during spring and

Above: white-taileddeer; below: barredowl

summer and to reflood them duringlate fall and winter. Intense controlefforts for exotic plants and otherundesirable woody species alsorequires special equipment and manyman-hours.

Visitor InformationHeadquartersThe refuge headquarters is locatedeight miles north of Eufaula, Alabama,approximately two miles east of U.S.Highway 431 on Alabama Highway165. The office is staffed 8 am- 4:30 pm(central time), Monday through Friday.The office offers viewing of mountedanimals and has materials aboutEufaula Refuge and the NationalWildlife Refuge System. The refuge isopen daily during daylight hours. Fordetails on Refuge opportunities contactthe refuge office at 334/687 4065.

Wildlife Drive/ObservationThe Eufaula Refuge is a year-roundclassroom for visitors. A seven-mileauto tour route, two observationplatforms, a one-third mile walkingtrail and other areas of interest areavailable daily during daylight hours.

Above: Sandhillcranes; below: greentree frog

Environmental EducationEnvironmental education is aprimary goal of Eufaula Refuge.Groups are welcome. On-site and off-site programs may be arranged bycalling the refuge office.

HuntingHunting of dove,squirrel, rabbit,waterfowl anddeer is provided.Permits arerequired.

FishingFishing isallowed year-round. Stateregulationsapply. Checkwith refugeoffice forregulations.

BoatingBoating in thereservoir isregulated by theCorps ofEngineers;operation inrefugeimpoundments isregulated byEufaula Refuge.Jetski, waterskiing andairboat activity isrestricted. Boatramps areavailablethroughout therefuge vicinity.

HikingSeveral walkingtrails and dikesare available forwalking duringdaylight hours.

Young fishermenwith bluegill; below:trumpet creeper

Visitors interested in walking otherareas are cautioned to check refugehunting schedules for their safety.

SwimmingSwimming is not allowed in refugewaters.

CampingCamping is not permitted on EufaulaRefuge, but is available at nearbyLakepoint State Park (Alabama) andFlorence Marina State Park (Georgia).

FiresFires are prohibited.

Horseback RidingPermitted on graveled roads only inareas not closed to entry.

BicyclesNon-motorized bicycles arepermitted on graveled roads only.Hunters, fishermen and wildlifeobservers are encouraged to usebikes to gain access to remote areas.

VehiclesOnly licensed vehicles and operatorspermitted. Access is limited to graveledroads only, some roads are closedseasonally. ATVs are prohibited.

FirearmsFirearms and other weapons areprohibited throughout the refugeexcept during authorized hunts.

Other Refuge RegulationsPortions of Eufaula Refuge areclosed seasonally to public entry toprovide waterfowl sanctuary. Theseareas are signed.

Disturbing, feeding or collectingwildlife or plants is prohibited.

Pets on a leash are permitted.

Surface collecting or digging forarchaeological, historical or NativeAmerican artifacts is prohibited.

Possession ofillegal drugs,controlledsubstances oralcohol isprohibited.

Left, top to bottom:violet; box turtle;wood ducks; below:Eastern cottontail;bobcat

Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge367 Highway 165Eufaula, AL 36027334/687 4065 voice334/687 5906 faxhttp://eufaula.fws.gov

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service1 800/344 WILD

September 2007