Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge is a 48000 acres (194.2 km²) National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...
located in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, in Noxubee
Noxubee County, Mississippi
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,548 people, 4,470 households, and 3,222 families residing in the county. The population density was 18 people per square mile . There were 5,228 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
, Oktibbeha
Oktibbeha County, Mississippi
-National protected areas:*Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge *Tombigbee National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 42,902 people, 15,945 households, and 9,264 families residing in the county. The population density was 94 people per square mile . There were 17,344 housing...
, and Winston
Winston County, Mississippi
-Demographics:At the 2000 census, there were 20,160 people, 7,578 households and 5,471 families residing in the county. The population density was 33 per square mile . There were 8,472 housing units at an average density of 14 per square mile...
Counties . The refuge serves as a resting and feeding area for migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
birds and as example of proper land stewardship. Also, the refuge extensively manages land for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
The Red-cockaded Woodpecker is a woodpecker found in southeastern North America.- Description :About the size of the Northern Cardinal, it is approximately 8.5 in. long, with a wingspan of about 14 in. and a weight of about 1.5 ounces...
.
Land for the Noxubee NWR was obtained in the 1930s through the Resettlement Administration
Resettlement Administration
The Resettlement Administration was a U.S. federal agency that, between April 1935 and December 1936, relocated struggling urban and rural families to communities planned by the federal government....
. During the 1930s, the land was controlled by the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act. In 1940, the land was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1940 to ensure the wetlands would continue to be protected, providing migratory bird species and other animals a safe haven. Of the 48000 acres (194.2 km²) of land, approximately 44500 acres (180.1 km²) consists of bottomland and upland forest. A variety of species inhabit these lands including quail
Quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally considered in the order Galliformes. Old World quail are found in the family Phasianidae, while New World quail are found in the family Odontophoridae...
, deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, and turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Two major lakes, Bluff with 1200 acres (4.9 km²) and Loakfoma with 600 acres (2.4 km²) provide much of the wetlands within Noxubee. Additionally, there are four green tree reservoir
Green tree reservoir
Green tree reservoirs consist of bottomland hardwood forest land which is shallowly flooded in the fall and winter.Studies have shown that the availability of flooded bottomland hardwood timber from late fall through early spring is critical to the breeding success of birds such as the mallard duck...
s and sixteen smaller reservoirs which provide a habitat for wood stork
Wood Stork
The Wood Stork is a large American wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It was formerly called the "Wood Ibis", though it is not really an ibis.-Appearance:...
, American alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
, bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
and other waterfowl.
The refuge partners with nearby Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
in an extensive research program with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Department of Forestry.
Goose Overlook
Goose Overlook is a 30 feet (9.1 m) observation platform overlooking Bluff Lake. This area provides a wildlife viewing area for animals such as white-tailed deer and migrating Canada Geese.Morgan Hill Overlook
Another observation on Morgan Hill provides a view of the 600 acres (2.4 km²) Loakfoma Lake.Bluff Lake Boardwalk
This 1000 feet (304.8 m) boardwalk provides access to an overlook at cypress island on Bluff Lake.Trail networks
The refuge has a trail system providing access to wildlife observation points.- Beaver Dam Trail: 2 miles (3.2 km)
- Morgan Hill Overlook Trail: 0.25 miles (400 m)
- Trail of the Big Trees: 4 miles (6.4 km)
- Wilderness Trail (3.4 miles)
- Scattertown Trail (1.75 miles)
- Woodpecker Trail: 0.25 miles (400 m)
See http://www.fws.gov/noxubee/noxtrail.htm for more information on each trail.