Lower Mississippi River Refuge Complex

St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge, operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was established in 1990. The Refuge is located on the Mississippi River just South of Natchez, Mississippi and presently is comprised of 24,442 acres. The refuge was established for wintering waterfowl and provides important foraging habitat for thousands of waterfowl each winter. Much of the refuge floods by the Mississippi River. While much of the refuge may not be accessible during some parts of the year, flooding by the Mississippi River provides important backwater fisheries habitat. As the river recedes, abundant food resources become available to thousands of shorebirds and wading birds.

Bayou Cocodrie National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1992 to preserve waterfowl habitat and bottomland hardwood forests of the lower Mississippi river. The Nature Conservancy purchased an 11,255.51-acre core tract from the Fisher Lumber Company, a subsidiary of General Motors Corporation. The Conservancy then sold the land to the USFWS over a span of 5 years. Now the refuge protects over 14,600 acres of bottomland hardwood forests, reforested lands, and early succession waterfowl habitat.

Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge was established on October 27, 2000 as the 526th refuge in the National Wildlife Refuge System. It is located near the town of St. Francisville, Louisiana, which is 30 miles north of Baton Rouge. The refuge was established to conserve, restore, and manage native forested wetland habitats for migratory birds, aquatic resources, and endangered and threatened plants and animals. Additionally, it was created to encourage the use of volunteers and facilitate partnerships among the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, local communities, and conservation organizations to promote public awareness of resources of the refuge and the National Wildlife Refuge System.