U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Lower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge

Refuge Facts ■ Silvicultural techniques for resident ■ Established: 1980. and migratory wildlife. ■ Acres: 10,331. ■ Education/interpretation. ■ Located in Lauderdale and Tipton ■ Law enforcement. counties, TN. ■ Cooperative partnerships. ■ Location: The refuge headquarters ■ Sanctuary for waterfowl. is located 18 miles west of Highway 51 on Highway 87. ■ Wood duck nest box program. Natural History Public Use Opportunities photo: USFWS photo: ■ Refuge lies adjacent to the ■ Hunting, including youth hunts. Mississippi River along the scenic Hatchie River. ■ Fishing year-round in Mississippi and Hatchie rivers and associated ■ Concentrations of ducks, geese, oxbows, and Champion Lake. raptors, shorebirds, wading birds and neo-tropical migrants. ■ Fishing seasonal at Sunk Lake, Teal, and Shoaf Ponds. ■ Refuge also administers the Tennessee Department of ■ Eight miles of gravel roads for Conservation owned Sunk Lake. refuge access. ■ Habitat acreage: ■ Logging trails for hiking/hunter photo: USFWS photo: access. Bottomland hardwood forest .. 5,280 Cropland ...... 1,278 ■ Wildlife observation. Open water ...... 75 ■ Photography. Upland forest ...... 922 Calendar of Events Grassland ...... 665 March-June: Crappie and bass Marsh ...... 887 fishing peak. Wildflowers are abundant. Northern snowmelt swells Financial Impact of Refuge Mississippi River. Birds migrating ■ Two-person staff. north. Excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. ■ 120,000 visitors annually. photo: USFWS photo: July-September: Catfishing still Refuge Objectives good.Habitat management programs ■ Protect, enhance, and manage busy. Heat, humidity, and bugs can be habitat for migratory birds and extreme. endangered species. September-December: Squirrel ■ Maintain and enhance bottomland hunting begins. Other hunts follow hardwood forest. through end of year. National Wildlife ■ Provide compatible consumptive Refuge Week in October. Excellent and non-consumptive public use wildlife viewing opportunities. photo: USFWS photo: opportunities. Randy Cook, Refuge Manager January-March: Small Mississippi Lower Hatchie NWR Management Tools river rises can inundate refuge Route 2, Box 126-A ■ Water management for waterfowl, Hunting closes end of February. Henning, TN 38041 shorebirds, and wading birds. Wintering waterfowl use peaks. Refuge phone: 731/738 2296 ■ Cooperative farming. Administration office: 731/287 0650 Fax: 731/286 0468 ■ Mechanical/chemical control of E-mail: FW4RWLower Hatchie@fws. noxious weeds. gov