Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan

              Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan
U.S. Department of the Interior
Fish and Wildlife Service
Southeast Region
July 2010
Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN
BLACK BAYOU LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
OUACHITA PARISH, LOUISIANA
U.S. Department of the Interior
Fish and Wildlife Service
Southeast Region
Atlanta, Georgia
July 2010
Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Table of Contents i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN
I. Background ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Purpose and Need for the Plan ...................................................................................................... 3
Fish and Wildlife Service ................................................................................................................ 3
National Wildlife Refuge System .................................................................................................... 4
Legal and Policy Context ................................................................................................................ 6
National and International Conservation Plans and Initiatives ........................................................ 7
Relationship to State Wildlife Agency ............................................................................................. 8
II. Refuge Overview ............................................................................................................................ 11
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 11
Refuge History and Purpose ......................................................................................................... 11
Special Designations .................................................................................................................... 14
Ecosystem Context ....................................................................................................................... 14
Regional Conservation Plans and Initiatives ................................................................................ 16
Ecological Threats and Problems ..................................................................................................... 17
Wildlife Management in an Urban Environment ........................................................................... 17
Invasive or Nuisance Plants ......................................................................................................... 18
Climate Change ............................................................................................................................ 19
Physical Resources .......................................................................................................................... 19
Current Climate ............................................................................................................................. 19
Geology and Topography ............................................................................................................. 20
Soils ............................................................................................................................................. 20
Hydrology ..................................................................................................................................... 21
Hydrology ..................................................................................................................................... 22
Air Quality .................................................................................................................................... 22
Water Quality and QuanTity ......................................................................................................... 22
Contaminants ............................................................................................................................... 24
Biological Resources ........................................................................................................................ 24
Habitat ......................................................................................................................................... 24
Wildlife ......................................................................................................................................... 31
Wildlife ......................................................................................................................................... 32
Birds ............................................................................................................................................. 32
Mammals ..................................................................................................................................... 34
Endangered/Threatened Species .................................................................................................36
Cultural Resources ........................................................................................................................... 37
Prehistoric background ................................................................................................................. 37
Historical Period (European contact) ............................................................................................ 37
Socioeconomic Environment ............................................................................................................ 39
Refuge Administration and Management ......................................................................................... 40
Land Protection and Conservation ............................................................................................... 40
Visitor Services ............................................................................................................................. 40
Personnel, Operations, and Maintenance .................................................................................... 46
ii Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
III. Plan Development ......................................................................................................................... 49
Summary of Issues, Concerns, and Opportunities ........................................................................... 49
Fish and Wildlife Population Management ................................................................................... 50
Habitat Management .................................................................................................................... 51
Resource Protection ..................................................................................................................... 52
Visitor Services ............................................................................................................................. 52
Refuge Administration .................................................................................................................. 53
Wilderness Review ....................................................................................................................... 54
IV. Management Direction ................................................................................................................. 55
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 55
Vision ........................................................................................................................................... 56
Goals, Objectives, and Strategies ................................................................................................ 56
Fish and Wildlife Population Management ................................................................................... 56
Habitat Management .................................................................................................................... 67
Resource Protection ..................................................................................................................... 71
Visitor Services ............................................................................................................................. 76
V. Plan Implementation .................................................................................................................... 85
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 85
Proposed Projects ............................................................................................................................ 85
Fish and Wildlife Population Management ................................................................................... 85
Habitat Management .................................................................................................................... 86
Resource Protection ..................................................................................................................... 87
Visitor Services ............................................................................................................................. 88
Refuge Administration .................................................................................................................. 89
Partnership/Volunteers Opportunities .............................................................................................. 89
Volunteers ................................................................................................................................... 89
Partnership Opportunities ............................................................................................................. 89
Funding and Personnel .................................................................................................................... 90
Step-Down Management Plans ....................................................................................................... 91
Monitoring and Adaptive Management ............................................................................................ 91
Plan Review and Revision ............................................................................................................... 92
APPENDICES
Appendix A. Glossary ...................................................................................................................... 93
Appendix B. References and Literature Citations ....................................................................... 107
Appendix C. Relevant Legal Mandates and Executive Orders ................................................... 113
Appendix D. Public Involvement ................................................................................................... 125
Summary Of Public Draft CCP Comments .................................................................................... 127
Draft Plan Comments and Service Response ............................................................................ 127
Appendix E. Appropriate Use Determinations ............................................................................. 129
Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge Appropriate Use Determinations ............................... 129
Appendix F. Compatibility Determinations .................................................................................. 139
Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge Compatibility Determinations .................................... 139
Table of Contents iii
Appendix G. Intra-Service Section 7 Biological Evaluation ........................................................ 169
Appendix H. Wilderness Review ................................................................................................... 175
Appendix I. Refuge Biota ............................................................................................................... 177
Appendix J. Consultation and Coordination ................................................................................. 199
Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 199
Core Planning Team Members ................................................................................................... 199
Interdisciplinary Planning Team Members .................................................................................. 199
Appendix K. Budget Requests ...................................................................................................... 201
Appendix L. Finding of No Significant Impact .............................................................................. 205
iv Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. North Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex ........................................................... 12
Figure 2. Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge ...................................................................... 13
Figure 3. Lower Mississippi River Ecosystem .................................................................................. 15
Figure 4. Elevation map of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge ........................................... 21
Figure 5. Watershed of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge ................................................ 23
Figure 6. Natural gas wells located on Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge ........................ 25
Figure 7. Vegetation map of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge ........................................ 26
Figure 8. Demonstration prairie and arboretum at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge ....... 30
Figure 9. Mapped invasive species on Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge ........................ 31
Figure 10. Visitor services on Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge ........................................ 41
Figure 11. Location of Black Bayou Lake ......................................................................................... 173
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Annual mid-winter waterfowl counts (first week of January) for
Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge .......................................................................... 32
Table 2. Numbers of alligators recorded by size class from 2001-07 on Black Bayou Lake .............. 35
Table 3. Invasive aquatic plant species and concerns ....................................................................... 69
Table 4. Summary of projects ............................................................................................................. 90
Table 5. Step-down management plans for Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge ................... 92
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 1
Executive Summary
The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has prepared this Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP)
to guide the management of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Ouachita Parish,
Louisiana. The CCP outlines programs and corresponding resource needs for the next 15 years, as
mandated by the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997.
Before the Service began planning, it conducted a biological review of the refuge’s wildlife and habitat
management program and conducted public scoping meetings to solicit public opinion of the issues
the CCP should address. The biological review team was composed of biologists from federal and
state agencies and non-governmental organizations that have an interest in the refuge. The refuge
staff held one public scoping meeting and solicited public reaction to the proposed alternatives. Also,
a 30-day public review and comment period of the Draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan and
Environmental Assessment was provided.
The Service developed and analyzed three alternatives. Alternative A represented no change from
current management of the refuge. Current approaches to managing wildlife and habitats, protecting
resources, and allowing for public use would remain unchanged. The mix of habitats on the refuge,
including bottomland hardwood and upland pine hardwood forests, would be restored and managed
appropriately. Under Alternative A, the refuge would continue to work with partners to acquire lands
within the current refuge boundary. The refuge would continue to benefit native wildlife species and
provide habitat for wintering waterfowl and year-round habitat for nesting wood ducks. It would also
maintain the current habitat mix for the benefit of other migratory birds. Staff would continue existing
surveys and monitor long-term population trends and health of migratory and resident species.
Existing refuge staff and volunteers would maintain the current public use and environmental
education programs at the refuge. The refuge would continue to serve the public with a premier
wildlife-dependent visitor services program.
Under Alternative B, the refuge would strive to optimize both its biological program and visitor
services program. The refuge would continue to furnish benefits to resident wildlife species in
Alternative B and would aim to increase its knowledge base about migratory birds, reptiles,
amphibians, invertebrates, and species of special concern, such as the alligator snapping turtle, by
developing and implementing monitoring programs, while continuing to provide habitats for the
benefit of waterfowl, colonial waterbirds, and landbirds. The refuge would use its resources to create
and/or maintain a variety of habitats compatible with historic habitat types. Efforts to control invasive
species would increase from those under Alternative A. Under Alternative B, land acquisition,
bottomland hardwood forest management, and resource protection at the refuge would be intensified
from the level now maintained in the no-action alternative. In the Private Lands Program, staff would
work with private landowners on adjacent tracts to manage and improve habitats.
Alternative B would provide a full-time law enforcement officer, a refuge operations specialist, a
maintenance worker, and park ranger (visitor services). With regard to cultural resources, including
those of an archaeological or historical nature, within 15 years of the date of this CCP, the refuge
would develop and begin to implement a Cultural Resources Management Plan.
2 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Under Alternative B, public use and environmental education would increase only slightly from the no-action
alternative. The program would be enhanced and improved with the addition of two park
rangers (visitor services and law enforcement). Within 3 years of the date of CCP completion, the
refuge would develop a Visitor Services Plan to maintain quality public use facilities and opportunities
on the refuge. This step-down management plan would provide overall, long-term direction and
guidance in developing and running one of the country’s premier public use programs at Black Bayou
Lake NWR. Over the 15-year life of the CCP, staff would increase the emphasis on environmental
education and interpretation under Alternative B to lead to increases in understanding of the
importance of habitat and resources on the refuge.
Alternative C would minimize wildlife and habitat management and the public use program. Baseline
inventorying and monitoring programs would be eliminated; monitoring for changes in trends would
not be necessary to achieve purposes of the refuge. Public use would be maintained under this
alternative and monitored for impacts to wildlife. Fishing would continue as currently managed.
Environmental education, wildlife observation, and wildlife photography would be accommodated at
present levels. Waterfowl hunting on the refuge would be eliminated while maintaining other current
hunting practices. Staffing would remain as in the no-action alternative.
The Service selected Alternative B as its preferred alternative and is reflected in this CCP.
Alternative B is selected for implementation because it directs the development of programs to best
achieve the refuge purpose and goals; emphasizes management and restoration of the refuge’s open
wetlands and bottomland hardwood and upland forests in support of migratory and resident waterfowl
and other wildlife, especially forest breeding birds, amphibians and reptiles, marsh birds, white-tailed
deer, wood duck, and woodcock; collects habitat and wildlife data; and ensures long-term
achievement of refuge and Service objectives. At the same time, these management actions provide
balanced levels of compatible public use opportunities consistent with existing laws, Service policies,
and sound biological principles. Alternative B provides the best mix of program elements to achieve
desired long-term conditions.
Under this alternative, all lands under the management and direction of the refuge will be protected,
managed, maintained, and enhanced and those lands within the approved acquisition boundary will
be prioritized for acquisition to best achieve national, regional, ecosystem, and refuge-specific goals
and objectives within anticipated funding and staffing levels. In addition, the action positively
addresses significant issues and concerns expressed by the public.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 3
COMPREHENSIVE CONSERVATION PLAN
I. Background
INTRODUCTION
This Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR),
Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, was prepared to guide management actions and direction for the refuge.
Fish and wildlife conservation will receive first priority in refuge management; wildlife-dependent
recreation will be allowed and encouraged as long as it is compatible with, and does not detract from,
the mission of the refuge or the purposes for which it was established.
A planning team developed a range of alternatives that best met the goals and objectives of the refuge
and that could be implemented within the 15-year planning period. This CCP describes the Fish and
Wildlife Service’s (Service) plan. The CCP was made available to state and federal government
agencies, non-governmental organizations, conservation partners, and the general public for review and
comment. Comments from each entity were considered in the development of this CCP.
PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PLAN
The purpose of the CCP is to develop an action that best achieves the refuge purpose; attains the
vision and goals developed for the refuge; contributes to National Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge
System) mission; addresses key problems, issues and relevant mandates; and is consistent with
sound principles of fish and wildlife management.
Specifically, the CCP is needed to:
 Provide a clear statement of refuge management direction;
 Provide refuge neighbors, visitors, and government officials with an understanding of
Service management actions on and around the refuge;
 Ensure that Service management actions, including land protection and
recreation/education programs, are consistent with the mandates of the Refuge
System; and
 Provide a basis for the development of budget requests for operations, maintenance,
and capital improvement needs.
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
The Service traces its roots to 1871 and the establishment of the Commission of Fisheries involved
with research and fish culture. The once independent commission was renamed the Bureau of
Fisheries and placed under the Department of Commerce and Labor in 1903.
The Service also traces its roots to 1886 and the establishment of a Division of Economic Ornithology
and Mammalogy in the Department of Agriculture. Research on the relationship of birds and animals
to agriculture shifted to delineation of the range of plants and animals so the name was changed to
the Division of the Biological Survey in 1896.
4 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
The Department of Commerce, Bureau of Fisheries, was combined with the Department of
Agriculture, Bureau of Biological Survey, on June 30, 1940, and transferred to the Department of the
Interior as the Fish and Wildlife Service. The name was changed to the Bureau of Sport Fisheries
and Wildlife in 1956 and finally to the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1974.
The Service, working with others, is responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and
wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people through federal programs
relating to migratory birds, endangered species, interjurisdictional fish and marine mammals, and
inland sport fisheries.
As part of its mission, the Service manages more than 540 national wildlife refuges covering over 95
million acres. These areas comprise the National Wildlife Refuge System, the world’s largest
collection of lands set aside specifically for fish and wildlife. The majority of these lands, 77 million
acres, is in Alaska. The remaining acres are spread across the other 49 states and several United
States territories. In addition to refuges, the Service manages thousands of small wetlands, national
fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices, and 78 ecological services field stations. The Service
enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird
populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat, and helps
foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that
distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state
fish and wildlife agencies.
NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM
The mission of the National Wildlife Refuge System, as defined by the National Wildlife Refuge
System Improvement Act of 1997 is:
“...to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation,
management, and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources
and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future
generations of Americans.”
The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Improvement Act) established, for
the first time, a clear legislative mission of wildlife conservation for the Refuge System. Actions were
initiated in 1997 to comply with the direction of this new legislation, including an effort to complete
comprehensive conservation plans for all refuges. These plans, which are completed with full public
involvement, help guide the future management of refuges by establishing natural resources and
recreation/education programs. Consistent with the Improvement Act, approved plans will serve as
the guidelines for refuge management for the next 15 years. The Improvement Act states that each
refuge shall be managed to:
 Fulfill the mission of the Refuge System;
 Fulfill the individual purposes of each refuge;
 Consider the needs of wildlife first;
 Fulfill requirements of comprehensive conservation plans that are prepared for each unit of
the Refuge System;
 Maintain the biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health of the Refuge System;
and
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 5
 Recognize that wildlife-dependent recreation activities including hunting, fishing, wildlife
observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and interpretation are
legitimate and priority public uses; and allow refuge managers authority to determine
compatible public uses.
The following are just a few examples of your national network of conservation lands. Pelican Island
National Wildlife Refuge, the first refuge, was established in 1903 for the protection of colonial nesting
birds in Florida, such as the snowy egret and the brown pelican. Western refuges were established for
American bison (1906), elk (1912), prong-horned antelope (1931), and desert bighorn sheep (1936) after
over-hunting, competition with cattle, and natural disasters decimated once-abundant herds. The drought
conditions of the 1930s Dust Bowl severely depleted breeding populations of ducks and geese. Refuges
established during the Great Depression focused on waterfowl production areas (i.e., protection of prairie
wetlands in America’s heartland). The emphasis on waterfowl continues today but also includes
protection of wintering habitat in response to a dramatic loss of bottomland hardwoods. By 1973, the
Service had begun to focus on establishing refuges for endangered species.
National wildlife refuges connect visitors to their natural resource heritage and provide them with an
understanding and appreciation of fish and wildlife ecology to help them understand their role in the
environment. Wildlife-dependent recreation on refuges also generates economic benefits to local
communities. According to the report, Banking on Nature 2006: The Economic Benefits to Local
Communities of National Wildlife Refuge Visitation, approximately 34.8 million people visited national
wildlife refuges in fiscal year 2006, generating almost $1.7 billion in total economic activity and
creating almost 27,000 private sector jobs producing about $542.8 million in employment income
(Carver and Caudill 2007). Additionally, recreational spending on refuges generated nearly $185.3
million in tax revenue at the local, county, state, and federal levels (Carver and Caudill 2007). As the
number of visitors grows, significant economic benefits are realized by local communities. In 2006,
nearly 71 million people, 16 years and older, fished, hunted, or observed wildlife, spending $45.7
billion and generating $122.6 billion (Leonard 2008).
Volunteers continue to be a major contributor to the success of the Refuge System. In 2005,
approximately 38,000 refuge volunteers donated more than 1.4 million hours. The value of their
service was more than $25 million.
The wildlife and habitat vision for national wildlife refuges stresses that wildlife comes first; that
ecosystems, biodiversity, and wilderness are vital concepts in refuge management; that refuges must
be healthy and growth must be strategic; and that the Refuge System serves as a model for habitat
management with broad participation from others.
The Improvement Act stipulates that comprehensive conservation plans be prepared in consultation
with adjoining federal, state, and private landowners and that the Service develop and implement a
process to ensure an opportunity for active public involvement in the preparation and revision (every
15 years) of the plans.
All lands of the Refuge System will be managed in accordance with an approved CCP that will guide
management decisions and set forth strategies for achieving refuge unit purposes. The CCP will be
consistent with sound resource management principles, practices, and legal mandates, including
Service compatibility standards and other Service policies, guidelines, and planning documents.
6 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
LEGAL AND POLICY CONTEXT
Legal Mandates, Administrative and Policy Guidelines, and Other Special Considerations
Administration of national wildlife refuges is guided by the mission and goals of the Refuge System,
congressional legislation, presidential executive orders, and international treaties. Policies for
management options of refuges are further refined by administrative guidelines established by the
Secretary of the Interior and by policy guidelines established by the Director of the Fish and Wildlife
Service. Select legal summaries of treaties and laws relevant to administration of the National
Wildlife Refuge System and management of the Black Bayou Lake NWR are provided in Appendix C.
Treaties, laws, administrative guidelines, and policy guidelines assist the refuge manager in making
decisions pertaining to soil, water, air, flora, fauna, and other natural resources; historical and cultural
resources; research and recreation on refuge lands; and provide a framework for cooperation
between Black Bayou Lake NWR and other partners, such as the Louisiana Department of Wildlife
and Fisheries, Natural Resources Conservation Service, The Nature Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited,
and private landowners, etc.
Lands within the Refuge System are closed to public use unless specifically and legally opened. No
refuge use may be allowed unless it is determined to be compatible. A compatible use is a use that,
in the sound professional judgment of the refuge manager, will not materially interfere with or detract
from the fulfillment of the mission of the Refuge System or the purposes of the refuge. All programs
and uses must be evaluated based on mandates set forth in the Improvement Act. Those mandates
are to:
 Contribute to ecosystem goals, as well as refuge purposes and goals;
 Conserve, manage, and restore fish, wildlife, and plant resources and their habitats;
 Monitor the trends of fish, wildlife, and plants;
 Manage and ensure appropriate visitor uses as those uses benefit the conservation of fish
and wildlife resources and contribute to the enjoyment of the public; and
 Ensure that visitor activities are compatible with refuge purposes.
The Improvement Act further identifies six priority wildlife-dependent recreational uses. These uses
are: hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and environmental education and
interpretation. As priority public uses of the Refuge System, they receive priority consideration over
other public uses in planning and management.
Biological Integrity, Diversity, and Environmental Health Policy
The Improvement Act directs the Service to ensure that the biological integrity, diversity, and
environmental health of the Refuge System are maintained for the benefit of present and future
generations of Americans. The policy is an additional directive for refuge managers to follow while
achieving refuge purpose(s) and the Refuge System mission. It provides for the consideration and
protection of the broad spectrum of fish, wildlife, and habitat resources found on refuges and
associated ecosystems. When evaluating the appropriate management direction for refuges, refuge
managers will use sound professional judgment to determine their refuges’ contribution to biological
integrity, diversity, and environmental health at multiple landscape scales. Sound professional
judgment incorporates field experience, knowledge of refuge resources, knowledge of refuge role
within an ecosystem, and knowledge of applicable laws and best available science, including
consultation with others both inside and outside the Service.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 7
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CONSERVATION PLANS AND INITIATIVES
Multiple partnerships have been developed among government and private entities to address the
environmental problems affecting regions. There is a large amount of conservation and protection
information that defines the role of the refuge at the local, national, international, and ecosystem
levels. Conservation initiatives include broad-scale planning and cooperation between affected
parties to address declining trends of natural, physical, social, and economic environments. The
conservation guidance described below, along with issues, problems, and trends, was reviewed and
integrated where appropriate into this CCP.
This CCP supports, among others, the Partners-in-Flight Plan, the North American Waterfowl
Management Plan, the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, and the National Wetlands
Priority Conservation Plan.
North American Bird Conservation Initiative. Started in 1999, the North American Bird
Conservation Initiative is a coalition of government agencies, private organizations, academic
institutions, and private industry leaders in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, working to ensure
the long-term health of North America's native bird populations by fostering an integrated approach to
bird conservation to benefit all birds in all habitats. The four international and national bird initiatives
include the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, Partners-in-Flight, Waterbird Conservation
for the Americas, and the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan.
North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The North American Waterfowl Management Plan
is an international action plan to conserve migratory birds throughout the continent. The plan's goal is
to return waterfowl populations to their 1970s levels by conserving wetland and upland habitat.
Canada and the United States signed the plan in 1986 in reaction to critically low numbers of
waterfowl. Mexico joined in 1994, making it a truly continental effort. The plan is a partnership of
federal, provincial/state and municipal governments, non-governmental organizations, private
companies, and many individuals, all working towards achieving better wetland habitat for the benefit
of migratory birds, other wetland-associated species and people. Plan projects are international in
scope, but implemented at regional levels. These projects contribute to the protection of habitat and
wildlife species across the North American landscape.
Partners in Flight Bird Conservation Plan. Managed as part of the Partners in Flight Plan, the
Mississippi Alluvial Valley physiographic area represents scientifically based land bird conservation
planning efforts that ensures long-term maintenance of healthy populations of native land birds,
primarily non-game land birds. Nongame land birds have been vastly under-represented in
conservation efforts, and many are exhibiting significant declines. This plan is voluntary and non-regulatory,
and focuses on relatively common species in areas where conservation actions can be
most effective, rather than the frequent local emphasis on rare and peripheral populations.
Partners in Flight has formed Bird Conservation Plans by Bird Conservation Regions that set
conservation priorities and habitat and population objectives. Habitats found on Black Bayou Lake
NWR and associated bird species that are considered a priority in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley and
West Gulf Coastal Plain include:
1. Loblolly/Shortleaf Pine: Henslow's sparrow, Bachman's sparrow, American kestrel, Le
Conte's sparrow, chuck-will's-widow, hooded warbler, brown-headed nuthatch, prairie warbler,
scissor-tailed flycatcher, red-cockaded woodpecker, and eastern wood-pewee.
8 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
2. Bottomland Hardwood Forest: swallow-tailed kite, Swainson's warbler, prothonotary
warbler, white-eyed vireo, yellow-billed cuckoo, and red-headed woodpecker.
U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan. The U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan is a partnership effort
being undertaken throughout the country to ensure that shorebird populations are restored and
protected. Primary objectives of this plan are:
1. Development of a scientifically sound monitoring system to provide practical information to
researchers and land managers.
2. Identify principles upon which management plans can integrate shorebird habitat
conservation with multiple species strategies.
3. Design a strategy for increasing public awareness and information concerning wetlands
and shorebirds.
Black Bayou Lake NWR is within the Lower Mississippi/Western Gulf Coast Shorebird Planning
Region and Bird Conservation Region. This plan recommends that public lands provide as much
fall shorebird habitat as possible to meet the goal of 520 ha (1,285 acres) of fall habitat in
Louisiana. Although Black Bayou Lake NWR is not considered an important shorebird area, the
following species are considered high priority for the region: piping plover, American golden-plover,
marbled godwit, ruddy turnstone, red knot, sanderling, buff-breasted sandpiper, American
woodcock, and Wilson’s phalarope.
North American Waterbird Conservation Plan. A broad coalition of governmental, non-governmental,
and academia organizations interested in coordinating efforts to conserve bird
populations and the landscapes upon which they depend. NABCI evolved in 1998 out of recognition
among conservationists of the value of coordinating and integrating planning, implementation, and
evaluation efforts of NAWMP, PIF, USSCP, and colonial waterbirds. The goal is to cause the
combined effectiveness of these separate programs to exceed the total of their parts.
U.S. Woodcock Plan. The U.S. Woodcock Plan was written by the Service in 1990 to “guide the
conservation of woodcock in the United States.” Although no stepdown plans have been written, the
plan gives general guidance for habitat and population management at the national level.
RELATIONSHIP TO STATE WILDLIFE AGENCY
A provision of the Improvement Act, and subsequent agency policy, is that the Service shall ensure
timely and effective cooperation and collaboration with other state fish and game agencies and tribal
governments during the course of acquiring and managing refuges. State wildlife management areas
and national wildlife refuges provide the foundation for the protection of species and contribute to the
overall health and sustainment of fish and wildlife species in the State of Louisiana.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is a state-partnering agency with the
Service, charged with managing state natural resources and approximately 1.4 million acres of
coastal marshes and wildlife management areas. LDWF coordinates the state wildlife conservation
program and provides public recreation opportunities on state wildlife management areas. The
state’s participation and contribution throughout the comprehensive conservation planning process
provided for ongoing opportunities and open dialogue to improve the ecological health and diversity
of fish and wildlife. A vital part of the comprehensive conservation planning process is integrating
common mission objectives where appropriate.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 9
In 2005, LDWF published a Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CWCS). The
components or steps of the CWCS are:
1. Assess the distribution and abundance of wildlife species, including rare and declining
species that are indicative of the diversity and health of the state’s wildlife.
2. Describe the location and relative condition of key habitats and community types essential
to conservation of these species.
3. Identify problems that adversely affect these species and habitats as well as research and
survey efforts needed to address these problems.
4. Identify conservation actions needed to conserve these species and habitats, and priorities
for implementing these actions.
5. Develop plans for monitoring these species and habitats, monitoring the effectiveness of
conservation actions, and adapting conservation actions to respond to new information or
changing conditions.
6. Develop procedures to review the conservation strategy at intervals not to exceed 10
years.
7. Coordinate plan development and implementation with federal, state, and local
governments and other organizations that manage significant areas of the state or
administer wildlife conservation programs.
8. Encourage public participation in the development, revision, and implementation of the
conservation strategy.
10 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 11
II. Refuge Overview
INTRODUCTION
The Black Bayou Lake NWR is a unit of the North Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Figure 1).
In addition to Black Bayou Lake NWR, the Complex includes D’Arbonne, Upper Ouachita, Handy Brake,
and Red River NWRs, as well as the Louisiana Farm Service Agency tracts. Each refuge has unique
issues and has had separate planning efforts and public involvement.
The Black Bayou Lake NWR plays an important role regionally in fulfilling the national goals of the
Refuge System. Its close proximity to a major metropolitan center gives members of the public
the ability to participate in educational opportunities that promote wildlife stewardship and to learn
about environmental issues/concerns that are affecting their communities.
REFUGE HISTORY AND PURPOSE
Black Bayou Lake NWR, established in 1997, is located 3 miles north of the city of Monroe, just east of
Highway 165 in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. It contains 4,522 acres of lacustrine, bottomland hardwood,
and upland mixed pine/hardwood habitats (Figure 2). Although the suburban sprawl of the city of Monroe
surrounds much of its boundary, the refuge itself represents many habitat types and is home to a diversity
of plants and animals. Black Bayou Lake NWR is situated in the Mississippi Flyway, the Mississippi
Alluvial Valley Bird Conservation Region, and the Lower Mississippi River Ecosystem.
Black Bayou Lake NWR was established for “…the conservation of the wetlands of the nation in order to
maintain the public benefits they provide and to help fulfill international obligations contained in various
migratory bird treaties and conventions…” 16 U.S.C. 3901 (b) (Wetlands Extension Act).
The central physical feature of the refuge is the lake itself. Black Bayou Lake, consisting of approximately
1,500 acres, is studded with baldcypress and water tupelo trees. The western half of the lake is open and
deeper, unlike the eastern side which is thick with trees and emergent vegetation. This portion of the lake
is naturally filling in. The lake is owned by the city of Monroe, which manages its water level as a
secondary source of municipal water. The Service has a 99-year free lease on the lake and some of its
surrounding land, constituting a total of 1,620 acres. The refuge owns the remaining 2,902 acres,
consisting of upland pine/hardwood and bottomland hardwood forests.
On May 6, 1993, the Director of the Service approved the Preliminary Project Proposal to create Black
Bayou Lake NWR. The approved acquisition boundary encompasses 6,200 acres of wetlands
associated with the lake (Figure 2). Initial acquisition efforts began but soon halted when the LDWF
indicated an interest in acquiring the property. Politics, escalating land values, and other factors
intervened and the LDWF eventually backed out of the project. In May 1996, the Service contacted the
city of Monroe about managing the area if the city purchased it. The lake serves as the city’s secondary
source of water, and the city had funds to protect such areas. However, the city had no interest in
managing the property. Numerous meetings resulted in a plan to create an overlay refuge on the city’s
property via a free 99-year lease. In October, the city purchased nearly 1,700 acres of the core area for
$1.725 million. On January 14, 1997, the Monroe City Council voted to lease the property to the
Service for 99 years for $1 to create Black Bayou Lake NWR. The refuge was formally established on
June 16, 1997, when assistant regional director Geoff Haskett signed the lease.
12 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Figure 1. North Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 13
Figure 2. Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
14 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Fee title lands have been purchased since the inception of the refuge. In 1999, 41 acres were acquired
from the city of Monroe. In 2000, 2,190 acres were purchased from private landowners. An additional 41
acres were acquired from the same landowner in three more purchases from 2001-02. The Service then
purchased the old fish hatchery ponds and their surrounding land (15 acres) from The Nature Conservancy.
In 2005, the Service purchased 615 acres of pine habitat from LDWF on the northeast corner of the refuge.
This land belonged in the Cities Services Wildlife Management Area (WMA) from 1966-1985.
SPECIAL DESIGNATIONS
The refuge does not include any special designation sites such as research natural areas.
ECOSYSTEM CONTEXT
Lower Mississippi River Ecosystem (LMRE)
Black Bayou Lake NWR is situated in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley Bird Conservation Region, the
LMRE, and in the Mississippi Flyway (Figure 3). The LMRE includes the alluvial plain of the
Mississippi River downstream of its confluence with the Ohio River and the delta plain and associated
marshes and swamps created by the meanderings of the Mississippi River and its tributaries (FWS
2002). Louisiana has twelve water quality management basins delineated on the basis of natural
drainage patterns of the state’s major river basins (Lester et al. 2005).
The Black Bayou Lake NWR is in the heart of protected bottomland hardwood forests and wetlands
of north Louisiana. There are 5 national wildlife refuges (D’Arbonne, Upper Ouachita, Black Bayou
Lake, Handy Brake and Tensas River), 36 Service easements, and 36 LDWF wildlife management
areas focused on conservation, enhancement, and restoration of bottomland hardwood forests.
Further, these entities also focus on moist-soil management, endangered species management,
environmental education, and compatible wildlife-dependent recreation in the LMRE. The LMRE
guides Service efforts to enhance, restore, and conserve the natural functional processes and habitat
types of the LMRE, while maintaining the economic productivity and recreational opportunities.
The ecosystem serves as primary wintering habitat for mid-continent waterfowl populations, as
well as breeding and migrating habitat for migratory songbirds. The expansive floodplain forests
of the past are now fragmented bottomland hardwood patches due to conversion from agriculture
and flood control projects.
The LMRE developed the following eight goals that this CCP will consider and promote when
establishing refuge goals and objectives to ensure the refuge continues its contribution to
ecosystem conservation and integrity.
 Conserve, enhance, protect, and monitor migratory bird populations and their habitats in the LMRE.
 Protect, restore, and manage the wetlands of the LMRE.
 Protect and/or restore imperiled habitats and viable populations of all endangered, threatened,
and candidate species and species of concern in the LMRE.
 Protect, restore, and manage the fisheries and other aquatic resources historically associated
with the wetlands and waters of the LMRE.
 Restore, manage, and protect national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries.
 Increase public awareness and support for LMRE resources and their management.
 Enforce natural resource laws.
 Protect, restore, and enhance water and air quality throughout the LMRE.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 15
Figure 3. Lower Mississippi River Ecosystem
16 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
In the meantime, the expanding human population within this ecosystem is increasing demands
on land and water resources to accommodate agriculture, timber production, grazing,
transportation, urban expansion, and outdoor recreation pursuits such as bird watching, fishing,
hiking, boating, and hunting.
Sustainable communities and species conservation and recovery require the joint efforts of private
landowners and local communities, as well as state and federal governments. This synergy of
federal, state, tribal, and private organizations, working together, will ensure that the Service not only
protects the more important areas, but also reduces redundancy of effort, allowing precious resources
to be directed where they are most needed.
Mississippi Alluvial Valley Bird Conservation Region
The LMRE is covered primarily by two bird conservation regions (BCR): Mississippi Alluvial Valley
(MAV) and West Gulf Coastal Plain (WGCP) (Figure 3). The MAV includes most of Black Bayou
Lake NWR, while small parts of the refuge lie within the WGCP. These forests are of high
conservation priority for conserving the natural communities and the bird populations within these
habitats. The primary threats to these forests include reservoir construction, stream
modifications, destructive timber harvesting practices, and conversion to pine plantations,
pastures, and other land uses (http://www.lmvjv.org/wgcp). The CCP will develop conservation
strategies to foster support for the MAV priorities.
REGIONAL CONSERVATION PLANS AND INITIATIVES
American Woodcock Management Plan: Woodcock trends in the United States have been declining
annually for the last 15 years, in spite of actions that have been taken to ensure that hunting does not
substantially promote declines, such as reduced bag limits and limited season lengths. An American
Woodcock Management Plan initiated in the 1990s points out the need for improved breeding,
migrating, and wintering habitat to enhance population growth and survival. Much of the decline is
thought to be a result of land use changes and the maturing of forest habitats resulting in less early
successional scrub/shrub habitats preferred by woodcock.
Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative: The initiative’s goal is “to restore northern bobwhite
populations range wide to an average density equivalent to that which existed on improvable acres in
the baseline year of 1980 [58,857,000]”. The only objective that may be pertinent to habitats at Black
Bayou Lake NWR is the following:
Enhance the management practices on pinelands and mixed pine-hardwoods by thinning,
controlled burning, and site preparation in a fashion that benefits bobwhites and other wildlife,
and increase acreage devoted to longleaf pine where it is ecologically feasible.
The population objective for the MAV BCR is to add 66,554 new coveys and 14,584 of these in
Louisiana. Habitat objectives involve improving pine/hardwood forests by conducting heavy thinnings
(40-60 percent canopy cover) and prescribing frequent burning (2- 3-year rotation) sufficient to
provide herbaceous nesting cover within pine stands.
Louisiana Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy: This program will direct the overall effort
by the LDWF over the next 10 years in assessing the status of and managing where appropriate, the
varied habitats and wildlife species in Louisiana. Conservation actions have been developed for each
ecoregion in the state in order to address threats to the habitats of these areas. The state will work
with a variety of partners in carrying out these recommended conservation actions. The state
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 17
considers the Service an important partner in this process and the Black Bayou Lake NWR an
important part of actions to be taken in this area.
Service Landscape Cooperatives: To ensure that we are “putting science in the right places,” the
Service determined in April 2009, that it needed a national geographic framework for implementing
landscape conservation. Just as migratory bird flyways have provided an effective spatial frame of
reference to build capacity and partnerships for international, national, state, and local waterfowl
conservation, this geographic framework will provide a continental platform upon which the Service
can work with partners to connect site-specific efforts to larger biological goals and outcomes. In its
meeting on August 4-6, 2009, the Service Directorate approved a map of the geographic framework
developed by a team of Service and U.S. Geological Survey experts from across the country. The
map defines Geographic Areas that provide a spatial frame of reference for building and targeting
science capacity that will support the Service and its partners in planning and designing conservation
strategies at landscape scales. It also allows us to more precisely explain to partners, Congress, and
the American public why, where, and how we target conservation resources and how our science-based
efforts connect to a greater whole. Currently, Black Bayou Lake NWR falls into the Gulf Coast
Plain and Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative.
ECOLOGICAL THREATS AND PROBLEMS
In order to prepare a CCP that would establish goals and objectives on how to manage this refuge
over the next 15 years, several planning steps were followed. One of those steps was an internal
review of known ecological threats and problems that may hinder the ability of refuge personnel to
fulfill the objectives of the refuge. That review developed the following list of concerns:
 Wildlife management in an urban environment
 Invasive and nuisance plants
 Climate change
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT
The 4,500-plus-acre refuge provides an opportunity for public/wildlife interaction and public education
that is enhanced by its location within a suburban environment. This suburban setting also poses
wildlife management problems.
As “natural” areas become reduced in size and more fragmented and isolated, urban/suburban
“open space” landscapes, such as Black Bayou Lake NWR, become more important for wildlife.
As urbanization increases, habitats available to wildlife become more degraded, fragmented, and
isolated, and species diversity decreases. Managers of urban wildlife must understand human
attitudes and social issues as well as they do ecological principles. The two species of concern
here are deer and raccoons.
Raccoons (and skunks and opossums) are probably the most efficient predators of birds, bird
nests, and turtle nests to the extent that many species are experiencing population declines as a
result. Raccoons have been documented to depredate 100 percent of the alligator snapping
turtle nests on the refuge.
Dense deer populations occur in many urban/suburban areas and the refuge is no exception. The
deer herd at this unit is becoming more isolated as more of the land around the unit is being
converted to housing subdivisions. Deer can rapidly change their habitat by overbrowsing vegetation
18 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
and exceeding the carrying capacity. When overpopulated, deer can become susceptible to disease.
White-tailed deer are important hosts of the nymphal and adult stages of the vector of Lyme disease
in the eastern United States. Deer also are the cause of many auto accidents, which are
exacerbated when deer herds are overpopulated.
INVASIVE AND NUISANCE PLANTS
There are two primary invasive plant species that are of concern in varying degrees throughout the
refuge because of their potential negative impacts on resource management:
 Chinese tallowtree (Triadica sebifera)
 Water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes)
Chinese Tallowtree
The Chinese tallowtree grows in abandoned fields, pastures, waste areas, and forests. It grows in a
wide range of environmental conditions, from wet to dry and shade to full sun. It reproduces by
seeds only, but one plant can produce hundreds of seeds, which have a tremendous ability to
germinate under adverse conditions. It is a fast-growing tree and has beautiful autumn foliage, hence
its popularity as an ornamental. To horticulturalists, this sounds like a dream tree, but to ecologists
and land managers, it can be a nightmare, especially when it invades an area.
Over the last 30 years, the Chinese tallowtree has become common in old fields and bottomland forests in
Louisiana. Several studies at the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wetlands Research Center in
Lafayette are aimed at understanding the factors that contribute to Chinese tallowtree growth, spread, and
management. When the tallowtree invades, it eventually monopolizes an area. This tree exhibits the
classic traits of most non-native invaders: it is attractive so people want to distribute it, it grows quickly and
in a variety of soils, it has incredible resiliency, and it resists pests. The tree reproduces and grows
quickly and can cause large-scale ecosystem modification. For example, where it completely replaces
native vegetation, it has a negative effect on birds by degrading their habitat.
Water Hyacinth
Water hyacinth is an aquatic plant native to South America, but has been naturalized in most of the
southern United States. Water hyacinth plants have a tremendous growth and reproductive rate and
the free-floating mats cause substantial problems. Water hyacinth can form impenetrable mats of
floating vegetation. It reproduces by seeds and by daughter plants which form on rhizomes and
produce dense plant beds. Individual plants break off the mat and can be dispersed by wind and
water currents. As many as 5,000 seeds can be produced by a single plant, and these seeds are
eaten and transported by waterfowl. Seedlings are common on mud banks exposed by low water
levels. Large colonies of water hyacinth can interfere with small boat navigation and fishing, as well
as provide habitat for mosquitoes. Water hyacinth in large mats blocks sunlight and keep
photosynthesis from occurring, reducing oxygen in the water. Water hyacinth is controlled through a
number of methods including harvesting, aquatic herbicides, and biological control agents.
Controlling these terrestrial and aquatic plant species will be an ongoing management problem at
Black Bayou Lake NWR. A variety of management techniques will need to be employed on a
continuing basis in order to control and mitigate impacts to resource management. Public
education, particularly for residents adjacent to the refuge headquarters unit, will be an important
element in this control program.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 19
CLIMATE CHANGE
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded that "warming of the
climate system is unequivocal." Global climate change poses risks not only to human health but
also to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Abundance and distribution of wildlife and fish will
change, particularly affecting those species already "at risk." Important economic resources such
as agriculture, forestry, and water resources also can be affected. Warmer temperatures, more
severe droughts and floods, and sea level rise will have a wide range of impacts. All these
stresses, added to existing stresses on resources caused by other influences, such as population
growth, land-use changes, and pollution, pose a significant challenge for fish and wildlife
conservation.
According to NOAA and NASA data, the Earth's average surface temperature has increased by about
1.2 to 1.4ºF since 1900. The ten warmest years in the 20th century have all occurred within the past
15 years. Some climate models, based on emissions of greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide,
methane, and nitrous oxide, predict that average surface temperatures could increase from 2.5 to
10.4oF by the end of the 21st century. The frequency of extremely hot summer days is expected to
increase, along with this general warming trend. Increases in atmospheric CO2 are attributed largely
to human activities, which have grown rapidly since the 1940s. The burning of fossil fuels adds 5.6
billion tons of carbon, (and deforestation contributes another 0.4 to 2.5 billion tons of carbon) to the
atmosphere each year.
The effects of climate change and global warming will be changes in weather/rainfall patterns,
decreases in snow and ice cover, rising sea levels, and stressed ecosystems. For the southeastern
United States and the Louisiana region, this could mean extreme precipitation events; greater
likelihood of warmer/dryer summers and wetter/reduced winter cold; and alterations of ecosystems
and habitats due to these changes in weather patterns. For Black Bayou Lake NWR, warmer
conditions would favor increased densities of vegetation and wetter conditions would favor trees and
vegetation that are better adapted to these conditions, such as bald cypress and water tupelo in
freshwater areas. If conditions become drier, the current range and density of forests would be
reduced and replaced by grasslands and the probability of wildfires would increase.
A recent study of the effects of climate change on eastern United States’ bird species concluded that
as many as 78 bird species could decrease by at least 25 percent, while as many as 33 species
could increase in abundance by at least 25 percent due to climate and habitat changes (Matthews et
al. 2004). In short, global warming could increase storm intensity, negatively change ecologically
important plant species, alter the spread of invasive species, increase drought-induced fires, and
further imperil already threatened and endangered species. Black Bayou Lake NWR will need to
monitor for these changes on the refuge.
PHYSICAL RESOURCES
The climate, topography, geology, air quality, soils, and waterways form the foundation of the
physical environment of the refuge.
CURRENT CLIMATE
The climate at the refuge is humid-subtropical and is primarily influenced by its subtropical latitude
and proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. The climate is controlled by two principal air masses. Warm,
moist air from the Gulf of Mexico generally dominates in the spring and summer, and cooler, drier air
from the Central Plains prevails during the winter months. Extended, hot, sultry summers and
20 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
moderately cool winters are the norm. The average annual air temperature is 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
During the winter, the average temperature is 50 degrees, with an average daily minimum of 39
degrees. Average seasonal snowfall is less than 1 inch. The average temperature is 81 degrees
during the summer, but temperatures above 90 degrees occur almost daily.
The mean annual precipitation is 60 inches. Half of this rainfall (30 inches) usually falls during April
through September. The growing season is about 235 days, beginning in mid-March and ending in
early November. Thunderstorms occur on average about 70 days each year, with most occurring
during the summer months. The average relative humidity in the mid-afternoon is about 60 percent.
Humidities are higher at night.
The sun shines 60 percent of the time during the summer, and 50 percent during winter. The
prevailing wind is from the south. Average wind speed is highest, 9 miles per hour, during the spring
months. These climatic values play an important role in influencing the area’s hydrologic regime,
which subsequently shapes ecosystem processes and functions.
GEOLOGY AND TOPOGRAPHY
As the climate has changed on the Earth, marine and deltaic sediments have been deposited in
alternating cycles in Louisiana. The eastern half of Ouachita Parish is an alluvial floodplain except for
a level, well-drained terrace standing about 20 to 30 feet above the surrounding recent floodplain
area at approximately 95 feet above mean sea level (MSL) (Figure 4). This terrace begins on the
east side of Black Bayou Lake and is made of materials brought in by the Ouachita River and
deposited as an alluvial fan. Later this alluvial fan was partly removed by an early Arkansas River,
leaving the extensive remnant known today as the Flatwoods terrace (Wang 1952).
SOILS
Nine soil types are found on the refuge (USDA 1974). Providence, Frizzell, and Muskogee represent
the most acreage. The Providence soils (740 acres) are found on the northeast corner of the refuge
along the lake. They are strongly acidic, moderately well-drained loamy soils. Pine forest is found on
most Providence soils in the parish. Frizzell soils (700 acres), also found on the northeast corner of the
refuge, are poorly drained, low in fertility, strongly acidic, and silty. These soils support mostly pine and
hardwood forests. Muskogee soils (430 acres) are found on the east and southeast portions of the
refuge against the lake. These soils are well-drained and loamy. They are gently sloping, acidic, and
usually support second-growth pine forests and some hardwoods. The prairie demonstration area is
on Rilla and Hebert soils. Rilla soils are well-drained and loamy, occurring on natural levees of the
Ouachita River. They are strongly acidic and most of these soils are used for crops in the parish.
Hebert soils are more poorly drained, loamy, acidic, and mostly support row crops or pasture in the
parish. Soil survey maps do not indicate which soils are found beneath the lake itself; however, it
would be reasonable to believe they are clays in the Alligator, Perry, and/or Litro series.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 21
Figure 4. Elevation map of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
22 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
HYDROLOGY
The Ouachita River originates in northwest Arkansas in the Ouachita Mountains near Mena, Arkansas,
flowing southeasterly for a distance of approximately 520 miles through Arkansas and Louisiana to the
Red River near Jonesville, Louisiana. Its watershed stretches from western Arkansas to near Little Rock
and south along its border with the Mississippi River basin. Cities along its path include Hot Springs,
Arkadelphia, Malvern, Camden, Smackover, El Dorado, and Crossett, Arkansas; and Sterlington, Monroe,
West Monroe, Columbia, and Jonesville, Louisiana. The basin may be divided into several distinctly
different regions. From the headwaters, it flows as a mountain stream through the Ouachita National
Forest to form Lake Ouachita, the largest lake fully within the State of Arkansas. Below Lake Ouachita, it
forms Lake Hamilton and Lake Catherine and flows through a transition area near Arkadelphia and
Malvern to the West Gulf Coastal Plain near Camden. Below Camden, the river gradient is much less
and has been developed for commercial navigation via the Ouachita-Black Navigation Project—a
distance of some 337 miles from its confluence with the Red River. Four locks and dams, H.K. Thatcher,
Felsenthal, Columbia, and Jonesville, provide a 9-foot-deep, year-round channel to the lower Red River
and the Atchafalaya River to the Gulf of Mexico.
Black Bayou Lake NWR is in the northern portion of the Lower Ouachita Watershed (Figure 5).
Water levels at Black Bayou Lake are managed by the city of Monroe according to a water
management plan to ensure a readily available drinking water source. A water control structure
located near Hannah’s Run on the western edge of the lake is used by the city of Monroe to manage
water levels by regulating the flow of water from the adjacent Bayou DeSiard. Because the city is
interested in ensuring an available water supply during the drought of summer, the lake is kept high
at 72 feet. During winter and spring when flooding is possible in Monroe, the city lowers the level of
the lake for flood protection to 70.5 feet. This hydrological regime is opposite of what would naturally
occur, with water levels lower during the hot months of summer and higher water during the winter
and spring when most rainfall occurs.
AIR QUALITY
Under the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established primary air
quality standards to protect public health. EPA has also set secondary standards to protect public
welfare. Secondary standards relate to protecting ecosystems, including plants and animals, from
harm, as well as protecting against decreased visibility and damage to crops, vegetation, and buildings.
EPA has developed National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six principal air pollutants
(also called criteria pollutants). They are Ground-Level Ozone (O3), Particulate Matter (PM),
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), and Lead (Pb). Ouachita
Parish ranks high among parishes in Louisiana for all criteria pollutants (www.scorecard.org).
WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY
Contaminant issues in the past have always been related to high levels of mercury in the water and
saltwater spills at gas well sites. A mercury contaminant advisory was issued in 2003 for fish
consumption. No water quality data are collected on the refuge.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 23
Figure 5. Watershed of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
24 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
CONTAMINANTS
The Monroe Gas Field (MGF) underlies portions of Ouachita, Union, and Morehouse Parishes in
northeast Louisiana, including Black Bayou Lake NWR (Figure 6). At the time of initial discovery and
development, during the second decade of the 1900s, it was the largest known gas field in the
country. Gas pressure initially exceeded 1,000 psi. Unlike other Louisiana gas fields, the Office of
Conservation, the state regulatory agency, never promulgated minimum spacing requirements for
wells in the MGF. Average well depth is around 2,300 feet and most wells could be drilled within 36
hours. The size of drilling pads varied from one company to another, but approximately 1/2-acre
would be cleared for each well. This allowed room for the drilling rig, mud pits (bentonite clay/water
slurry), and service vehicles. Following well completion, only a small area around the well head
would be maintained by the gas company. Brine, which contains about three times as much salt as
sea water, is a by-product of most gas wells.
Until the mid 1970s, economics generally restricted wells to one per 40 acres. However, tax laws and
a dramatic, though short-lived, increase in natural gas prices combined to spur a rash of drilling,
which lasted until about 1986. During this period, the number of wells in the MGF more than doubled.
In some instances, wells were drilled within 600’ of each other. These rapidly depleted gas reserves
reduced the average gas pressure to about 30 psi, and caused production at many wells to cease.
Mineral rights were not obtained when the refuge was acquired. From a refuge management
standpoint, the possible problems associated with natural gas production are: (1) Habitat/wildlife
disturbance; (2) improperly covered mud pits; (3) abandoned/poorly maintained wells and facilities;
(4) mercury contamination; and (5) brine.
BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES
HABITAT
The refuge includes 861 acres of open water, 604 acres of permanently flooded baldcypress/tupelo
forest, 296 acres of bottomland hardwood forest, 1,900 acres of upland pine/hardwood forest, 856
acres of reforestation, and a 4-acre demonstration prairie and a 2-acre arboretum (Figure 7). A
woody plant species list for the Complex is located in Appendix I.
Open Water
The permanent water area on the refuge consists of that portion of the lake that is not forested and
the old fish hatchery ponds. Bayou DeSiard is adjacent to the western boundary of the refuge for 4.5
miles. The city of Monroe manages water levels according to a water management plan that ensures
a readily available water supply.
Baldcypress/Tupelo
Black Bayou Lake is filling in naturally on the eastern and northeastern portions through sedimentation
and detritus build-up from plant decomposition. Boat access is impossible in this portion of the lake for
most of the year. The majority of permanently flooded tupelo and baldcypress stands is located in these
areas; however, small groups of trees are scattered throughout the open lake area.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 25
Figure 6. Natural gas wells located on Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
26 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Figure 7. Vegetation map of Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 27
The Society of American Foresters (SAF) describes this forest type as follows:
Type 102 Baldcypress—Water Tupelo
In stands of this type, the majority of the stocking comprises baldcypress and water tupelo together.
This type occurs in swamps, deep sloughs, and very low, poorly drained flats. These sites are always
very wet, and surface water stands well into or throughout the growing season. Soils are generally
mucks, clays, or fine sand.
Trees commonly in association are black willow, water locust, overcup oak, green ash, and
persimmon. Among the shrub species are swamp privet, buttonbush, and planer tree. Woody vines
include red vine. A host of herbaceous plants will be common associates and take the form of
flotants, emergents, and submergents. Frequently, a variety of mosses and lichens adorn the
exposed tree trunks, and the crowns may be draped with Spanish moss.
Soils in this cover type are probably clays in the series Alligator, Perry, and/or Litro.
Bottomland Hardwood Forest
The primary woody species in the lowest areas of bottomland forest are baldcypress, water tupelo,
buttonbush, and swamp privet. Slightly higher on the floodplain are overcup oak, water hickory,
cherrybark oak, Nuttall oak, persimmon, cedar elm, and water locust. The understory largely consists
of swamp privet, greenbrier, poison ivy, and buttonbush.
The majority of bottomland forest on the refuge falls into two SAF types:
Type 91 Swamp Chestnut Oak-Cherrybark Oak
Species composition of this type may vary widely. In most stands, cherrybark oak will be much more
common than swamp chestnut oak. Moreover, both oaks in total generally do not represent a
majority of the species for any stand. Many other species including white oak, post oak, sweetgum,
blackgum, hickory, willow oak, water oak, southern red oak, winged elm, sassafras, delta post oak,
slippery elm, Shumard oak, black oak, black cherry, white ash, green ash, red maple, loblolly, and
shortleaf pines are present that result in well-stocked stands. Common species in the midstory level
are eastern redbud, flowering dogwood, American holly, red mulberry, American hornbeam, eastern
hophornbeam, and witch-hazel. Shrub species ordinarily in association are red buckeye, devil’s
walkingstick, sweetleaf, and Viburnums. Grape vines, Alabama supplejack, Carolina jessamine,
trumpet creeper, and greenbrier are frequent inhabitants of this forest type.
This type characteristically occurs on the best, most mature, fine sandy loam soils on the highest first
bottom ridges and hammocks and on the second bottoms or terraces. These well-drained sites are
seldom covered with standing water and only rarely, if ever, overflow.
Soils in this type are mostly Portland silt and Perry clay.
Type 92 Sweetgum-Willow Oak
The low ridges in the broad slackwater areas of the first bottoms are typically occupied by this forest
type. Willow oak and sweetgum comprise the largest proportion of the stocking in stands of this type.
These stands are strongly dominated by willow oak because of the heavy clay soils; sweetgum very
often forms only a minor proportion of the stocking. A major associate on higher clay ridges and flats
28 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
is Nuttall oak, which may represent 30 to 50 percent of the stocking at times. Other trees associated
with this type are sugarberry, green ash, overcup oak, water oak, water hickory, cedar elm,
persimmon, and sometimes baldcypress. Common shrub associates of this type include swamp
privet, American snowbell, possumhaw, hawthorn, and dull-leaf indigobush. Woody vine species
occasionally present are greenbrier, peppervine, and redvine.
Soils in this type are mostly Portland silt and Perry clay.
Upland Mixed-Pine/Hardwood
Upland forests on the eastern side of the refuge are mature. The primary tree species are loblolly
pine, shortleaf pine, cherrybark oak, southern red oak, mockernut hickory, white oak, and sweetgum.
Common understory species include French mulberry, deciduous holly, blueberry, huckleberry,
greenbrier, and mayhaw.
The two SAF types represented in the uplands include:
Type 80 Loblolly—Shortleaf Pine
Loblolly and shortleaf pine together comprise a majority of the stocking. The type is usually found on
sites higher and drier than those where Type 81 loblolly pine prevails because shortleaf pine does not
tolerate very wet soils and loblolly pine is less thrifty on dry, thin soils. Common overstory associates
are sweetgum, blackgum, southern red oak, post oak, white oak, and mockernut hickory. Tree
species in the midstory include flowering dogwood, persimmon, eastern redcedar, and hawthorn.
Shrub species commonly associated with this type are American beautyberry, red buckeye, rusty
blackhaw, and sumac. Among the common species of woody vines are greenbrier, Carolina
jessamine, blackberry, Japanese honeysuckle, and poison ivy.
Soils in this type are Muskogee, Providence, Frizzell, and Guyton.
Type 82 Loblolly Pine—Hardwood
Hardwoods are predominant in this type, with loblolly pine making up at least 20 percent of the
stocking. On wet sites, loblolly pine is associated with sweetbay, blackgum, sweetgum, water oak,
willow oak, red maple, and American elm. Species associated on drier sites are southern red oak,
white oak, post oak, hickory, shortleaf pine, and persimmon. Generally, many of the same shrub,
vine, and herb species found with the loblolly pine type are also common associates in stands of the
loblolly pine/hardwood type.
Soils in this type are Muskogee, Providence, Frizzell, and Guyton.
Reforestation
All of the reforested area was farmed at some point during the past 150 years, and cotton and corn
were farmed until the refuge was established. Reforestation efforts were initiated in 2000. A wide
variety of tree species was planted using soil and elevation maps to determine composition. Species
included baldcypress, willow oak, water oak, cow oak, southern red oak, cherrybark oak, cottonwood,
green ash, American elm, sycamore, sweet pecan, plums, and many more.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 29
Prairies
Prairie plant species, such as Asclepias tuberosa, Liatris, Coreopsis, and Rudbeckia maxima, are
present within rights-of-way on the eastern edge of the refuge.
An educational demonstration prairie and arboretum are located near the Visitor’s Center (Figure 8).
Farming
Farming has not occurred on the refuge since its establishment in 1997. Cotton, corn, milo, and
soybeans were farmed prior to this time.
Forest Management
The refuge does not currently have a forest management plan. No timber harvest has occurred since
refuge establishment. Most forest management would be confined to the eastern and northern side
of the refuge within the upland pine/hardwood forest. Two parcels of land were purchased from
LDWF in 2005. LDWF thinned the pines before selling the land to the Service. In the future,
reforested fields will need to be managed also. Existing forest management consists of invasive plant
control, which is discussed below.
Fire Management
Currently, the prairie demonstration area is to be burned on a 3-year rotation after the first good frost.
After the only time it was burned, 2 years ago, many of the desired plants did not regenerate. The
upland pine forest on the north and east portions of the refuge have not been burned since being
purchased by the Service.
Invasive Plant Management
The two species of invasive plants that are of primary concern are Chinese tallowtree and water hyacinth.
Other invasive plants that have been found on the refuge include princess tree, tree-of-heaven,
Chinaberry, and mimosa (Figure 9). Salvinia spp. is an aquatic invasive plant that may likely invade Black
Bayou Lake in the future. This species needs to be monitored for its presence. Chemicals such as
Garlon, Rodeo, 2-4-D, and Roundup are used to kill invasives. GIS is used to map species presence and
treatment type. Water hyacinth is sprayed during the growing season at varying intervals using a
specially adapted boat. Monies collected from boat launch fees are used to pay for chemical and
spraying equipment. The forester opportunistically hacks and squirts tallowtree with RoundUp. In
addition, a commercial contractor treated 92 acres of tallowtree in September 2007.
Moist-soil Management
One 8-acre unit is located near the lake and is managed to attract a variety of wildlife for viewing
opportunities. Water is drawn down in May and pumped up in the fall if necessary. There are no
other managed moist soils or agriculture on Black Bayou Lake NWR.
30 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Figure 8. Demonstration prairie and arboretum at Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 31
Figure 9. Mapped invasive species on Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
32 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
WILDLIFE
BIRDS
Wintering Waterfowl
Wood duck and hooded merganser numbers are underrepresented when using traditional waterfowl
surveying methods because these species inhabit flooded timber, which is difficult to survey. Wood
ducks probably are the most abundant wintering duck on the refuge. Other species utilizing the lake
include mallard, gadwall, green-winged teal, wigeon, shoveler, pintail, ring-necked duck, ruddy duck,
canvasback, and scaup (Table 1).
Resident Waterfowl
The refuge provides year-round habitat for wood ducks. Many natural cavities are available for
nesting wood ducks. Seventeen wood duck nest boxes are located on the refuge to provide
additional nesting habitat.
Wood duck nest boxes are always cleaned and repaired before January and checked at the end of the
nesting season. However, boxes are usually checked more frequently to determine the number of broods,
nest success, and productivity. Boxes are mapped and individually numbered. The document “Increasing
Wood Duck Productivity: Guidelines for Management and Banding” are followed (USFWS 2003a).
Mergansers probably nest in natural cavities within the refuge, but they are rarely seen during
summer. Black-bellied whistling ducks were seen for the first time during late summer in 2006;
however, nesting in wood duck boxes has not been documented.
Table 1. Annual mid-winter waterfowl counts (first week of January) for Black Bayou Lake
National Wildlife Refuge
Year Mallard Gadwall Green-winged
Teal
Wood
Duck Canvasback Ring-neck Scaup Total
Ducks
1998 75 240 0 0 0 110 0 425
1999 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2000 100 300 0 0 0 0 0 400
2001* 500 600 50 200 0 50 0 1400
2002 80 0 0 20 0 0 0 100
2003 73 25 0 5 0 35 0 138
2004 25 25 0 100 0 50 0 200
2005 14 45 0 0 0 10 160 229
2006 227 302 50 5 0 60 0 644
2007 100 150 30 0 2 30 40 350
* Mid-winter waterfowl count conducted by boat instead of plane.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 33
Water and Marsh Birds
The lake itself provides wading bird habitat at different times of the year. A major rookery was
discovered on the refuge in 2000 and was active for 3 years. Small rookeries of herons still exist.
Species nested include white ibis, anhinga, great blue heron, little blue heron, great egret, cattle
egret, green heron, snowy egret, and night-herons. American bitterns, roseate spoonbills, and wood
storks have been recorded on the refuge usually during migration or post-breeding dispersal. Large
concentrations of double-crested cormorants utilize the refuge during winter. American white
pelicans are sometimes seen floating on the lake.
Marsh bird habitat is not available on the refuge, but Virginia rails, clapper rails, and soras probably
migrate through. King rails may breed irregularly if water levels are suitable. Coots are present year-round
and are especially abundant in winter. Common moorhen and purple gallinules breed in the area.
Shorebirds
The only shorebird habitat found on the refuge would be the shorelines of the lake, hatchery ponds, and
Bayou DeSiard. No impoundments are managed for shorebirds. Spotted and solitary sandpipers are
seen on the edges of bayous during migration. Killdeer is the most numerous species of shorebird.
Landbirds/Neotropical Migratory Birds
Breeding land bird surveys are conducted at points chosen randomly. Points were allocated within
forest compartments. Compartments are surveyed on a 3-year rotation. In 2008, 18 point counts
were conducted. Totals of 31 species and 257 individuals were detected. An average of 10.9 ± 0.65
species/points (± S.E.) and 14.3 ± 0.04 (± S.E.) individuals/points were recorded. The most abundant
species were red-eyed vireo, blue-gray gnatcatcher, and tufted titmouse. Brown-headed cowbirds
were detected on 33 percent of points.
Woodcock
The 7-year-old reforestation stands and surrounding forests at Black Bayou Lake NWR may provide
diurnal habitat for woodcock. No survey work has been completed to determine use by this species.
Woodcock hunting is open to the public, but they are not nearly as popular to hunt as in south
Louisiana. Although no woodcock surveys are conducted, hunters were asked to report any birds
harvested. During the 2002-2003 hunting season, 4 woodcock were reported.
Turkey
Over-hunting in the early 1900s caused wild turkey numbers to decline precipitously in this area.
During 1966-70, 25 turkeys were released onto Cities Services WMA (13,374 acres). These lands
were withdrawn from the WMA in 1985; however, a portion of the historic acreage is now refuge
property. Today, no turkeys utilize the refuge, except for sporadic transient birds.
Quail
When reforestation efforts in 2000 began, bobwhites were one of the more numerous species heard
during breeding bird surveys. Now that trees are 7 years old, quail habitat has been greatly reduced.
Quail are still heard and seen occasionally in and around the educational facilities. Bobwhites can be
hunted on the refuge but very few, if any, hunters partake in the activity.
34 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
MAMMALS
Forty-four species of mammals are likely to occur on the refuge (Appendix I), although scientific
studies have not been conducted.
Deer
White-tailed deer are the only big game on the refuge. Archery hunting is available throughout the
state season, but few bowhunters utilize the refuge. The refuge estimates less than 10 deer are
harvested annually. No formal surveys or data are collected to determine herd size; however,
reforestation areas are not showing signs of overbrowsing. The refuge foresees the deer herd
increasing to a level requiring management action in the future.
Furbearers
Species found on the refuge include Virginia opossum, raccoon, striped skunk, river otter, beaver,
mink, nutria, and muskrat. Gray fox, red fox, coyote, and bobcats are also present. Trapping permits
have not been requested by the public nor are they issued.
Rabbits
Both eastern cottontail and swamp rabbits inhabit the refuge. Rabbit hunting is available to the
public, but few hunters take advantage of it.
Squirrels
Fox and gray squirrels are found on the refuge and both are hunted enthusiastically by the local
public. Gray squirrels prefer dense forests with good vertical structure whereas fox squirrels inhabit
more open woods. Hunters reported killing 59 squirrels during the 2002-2003 season and 115
squirrels during the 2001-2002 hunting season.
Other Mammals
No research has been conducted on small mammals such as mice, voles, and moles.
REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
Fifty of the seventy-nine species of reptiles and amphibians that are likely to occur on the refuge have
been documented by University of Louisiana at Monroe (ULM) researchers (Appendix I). Frogs and
toads have been surveyed by refuge staff and ULM using call counts fashioned after the protocol
developed by the Louisiana Amphibian Monitoring Program.
In 2002, a malformed amphibian study was conducted on the refuge by ULM. Collections of Fowler’s
toad, bronze frog, and northern cricket frog tadpoles from two sites were made. One individual, a
Fowler’s toad, showed evidence of abnormality with a soft tissue covering over the entire eye.
Alligators are a common sight on the refuge and the adjacent Bayou DeSiard. Alligator surveys are
conducted each summer using the same route (Table 2).
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 35
Table 2. Numbers of alligators recorded by size class from 2001-07 on Black Bayou Lake
Size Class (ft) 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007*
1 0 0 2 0 24 2 1
2 2 9 4 5 10 12 11
3 1 3 2 6 2 9 2
4 7 6 6 2 2 7 3
5 2 7 1 3 6 7 3
6 2 9 2 3 4 8 5
7 0 0 1 0 4 2 1
8 0 0 2 1 2 0 1
9 0 1 1 0 0 0 0
10 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
Unknown 5 8 5 11 10 7 19
Totals 19 43 26 33 64 54 46
* Incomplete count
FISHERIES
In 2000 and 2001, LDWF and ULM evaluated the sport fisheries at Black Bayou Lake (Aku and Wood
2002). They found bluegills and black crappies to represent 41 percent and 29 percent of the
sample, respectively. Largemouth bass represented 18 percent. Stock density indices, condition,
and growth were good for crappie, bass, and bluegill. Other species recorded during the study
included brook silverside, golden shiner, spotted and longnose gar, warmouth, bantam, banded
pygmy and green sunfish, white crappie, gizzard and threadfin shad, yellow and brown bullhead,
mooneye, chain pickerel, and bowfin.
SPECIES OF CONCERN
Alligator Snapping Turtle
Alligator snapping turtles are the largest freshwater turtle in North America. Its native range extends
from the Gulf of Mexico from Texas to Florida north to Kansas, Illinois, and Indiana. All states offer
protection for snapping turtles through special designations such as threatened, endangered, or
species of concern. Louisiana was the last state to protect these turtles. A moratorium on
commercial harvest in Louisiana occurred in November 2004; however, recreational take is still legal
in the state, but limited to one turtle per day. Commercial harvest extensively depleted populations of
snapping turtles from the 1960s through the 1980s in the southern United States. Population models
indicate in order to maintain a stable population, adult female survival rates must be at least 98
percent (Reed et al. 2002). This study went on to say that if adult survivorship is reduced by a
quarter of one percent, the population could be reduced by half within 410 years. Another factor
contributing to the decline of this species is their low reproductive success. Raccoons, skunks,
opossums, and fire ants depredate nests at alarming rates. One study on the refuge indicated that
36 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
93 percent of nests found were depredated. Dr. Carr at ULM has been continually studying alligator
snapping turtles on the refuge for the past several years. Presently, eggs are removed from the nest,
incubated at ULM until hatched, and released into the lake. Prior to release, hatchlings are tagged
and a small number are fitted with transmitters, as are adults that are captured in the lake. The
researchers are studying nest-site characteristics, habitat selection, genetics, and other aspects of
turtle biology (Woosley 2005).
Rafinesque’s Big-eared Bat
Rafinesque’s big-eared bat is the least studied bat in the eastern United States (Harvey et al. 1999)
and is federally designated a species of concern. Because this bat is associated with bottomland
hardwoods, many biologists are concerned about its status. Many states consider them to be
endangered or threatened; however, Louisiana has no official designation for Rafinesque’s big-eared
bat. Forty-four roost trees of this species were found on the nearby D’Arbonne NWR inside hollow
water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica) trees during the summer of 2000 (Gooding and Langford 2004). The
roost trees found are all within the same tupelo stand. This unique stand is comprised of a high
density of very large, hollow water tupelo trees, which seem to be favored by this species (Clark et al.
1998, Cochran 1999, Gooding and Langford 2004, Trousdale and Beckett 2005). Black Bayou Lake
NWR has plenty of water tupelos growing in the lake; however, most of them are very difficult to
access and are not of large size. More research on Rafinesque’s big-eared bats is needed.
Southeastern Myotis Bat
Although southeastern myotis bats are captured more frequently in mist-nets than big-eared bats,
declines are being seen in their populations in Arkansas (Harvey et al. 1999). Southeastern myotis
bats, like big-eared bats, are associated with riparian areas or bottomland hardwoods and are listed
federally as a species of concern. Little is known about the roosting habits of southeastern myotis
bats in areas where there are no caves, such as Louisiana. Recent information shows that
southeastern myotis bats also utilize water tupelo trees (Gooding and Langford 2004), at least during
summer as maternity colonies. At Bayou Cocodrie NWR in Ferriday, Louisiana, several very large
roosts (5,000 bats) were found in tupelo trees (personal comm. John Dickson), and on Upper
Ouachita NWR, a roost of 1,000 was found in a tupelo. Again, the tupelo trees on Black Bayou Lake
NWR are small, not likely hollow, and difficult to access.
ENDANGERED/THREATENED SPECIES
Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCW)
Currently, there are no active groups of RCWs on the refuge. When the refuge was established, one
male bird was present. Habitat improvement was initiated including installing inserts and
mechanically removing mid-story hardwood trees. However, soon after, the bird disappeared in
2002. The RCW Recovery Plan did not list Black Bayou Lake NWR as having an RCW population
nor were any population goals established for the refuge (USFWS 2003b). Consultation with the
RCW Recovery Coordinator has indicated that the refuge does not have to manage for the red-cockaded
woodpecker because no birds have been present for at least 5 years.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 37
CULTURAL RESOURCES
PREHISTORIC BACKGROUND
The following is a description of the first people and settlements in north Louisiana in the refuge area:
Lithic Period (30,000-5000 B.C.)
Paleo-Indian people probably inhabited the Prairie and Deweyville Terrace zones of the refuge. The
recent floodplain was probably not yet formed.
Archaic Period (5000-1500 B.C.)
Continuation of Paleo-Indian culture with beginnings of local and regional culture patterns;
hunting/gathering existence; and dominant culture group inhabiting the Ouachita region, the Caddo
people, were becoming defined at this time.
Late Archaic Period (1500-250 B.C.)
People of the Poverty Point culture probably had village sites along the Ouachita River near or on the
present refuge. These people had rudimentary agriculture and were mound builders. Caddo Indians
were developing culture patterns independently of other groups in the LMV.
Tchefuncte Period (400-150 B.C.)
The people of this period exhibited an early woodland culture. These people had simple, poorly
made pottery. This culture diffused gradually up the Mississippi Valley and probably co-existed with
the Poverty Point culture and Caddo in the refuge area.
Marksville Period (100-500 A.D.)
A blending of northward-moving southeastern woodland culture and the southward-moving Hopewell
culture probably occurred in the refuge area. The Poverty Point culture was still in evidence,
however. Fine pottery, flint artifacts, and stone projectile points first appeared at this time. Elaborate
burial techniques and cults developed.
Mississippian Culture (1400-1600 A.D.)
This culture was one of the earliest recognized cultural traditions in the United States. It was widely
distributed in the southeastern United States and had distinctive pottery and projectile points.
Agriculture was well developed. Although Mississippian type projectile points have been found on the
refuge, the area was probably on the fringe of the Mississippian culture. The Ouachita branch of the
Caddo people had become the dominant group along the Ouachita River.
HISTORICAL PERIOD (EUROPEAN CONTACT)
1541 – 1542
Hernando de Soto followed the Ouachita River in his exploration of the southern United States. He found
Ouachita Indians living along the river. Village site or sites may have existed on the refuge area.
1682
La Salle claims LMV area for France.
1718
Several French settlements established along the Ouachita River. Trappers, hunters, and traders
probably utilized the refuge area.
38 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
1729
Natchez uprising disrupts French control of northeast Louisiana; French settlements along the
Ouachita were abandoned.
1734
Most of the Ouachita Indians had been decimated by European diseases and raids by Chickasaw
war parties from Mississippi.
1762
France loses French and Indian War. Louisiana Territory is ceded to Spain.
1791
Fort Miro was established at a small Spanish settlement that would eventually become the city of
Monroe. European trappers and hunters lived in the refuge area.
1803
Louisiana was reacquired by France. The United States bought it from France. Choctaw Indians
from Mississippi replaced the Ouachita Caddoans along the river. Congress established Territory of
Orleans south of 33° N latitude.
1812
Territory of Orleans became the State of Louisiana. The county of Ouachita was established.
1839
Union Parish was established from part of the old Ouachita County. One of the Police Jury’s first
actions was to enact a law allowing free-ranging domestic animals in the parish.
1840-1845
This was the period of influx of settlers from Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Most of these
people disembarked at Alabama Landing, located on the present refuge. Towns of Marion, Haile,
and Linville resulted from this wave of immigration. Most of these people were small farmers—not
slaveholders. The town of Marion was named after Marion, Alabama, which was named for Francis
Marion, the “Swamp Fox” of the American Revolution.
1861
Louisiana secedes from the United States. A major back-water flood occurs on the Ouachita River.
The state sends aid to the victims in Union Parish. This indicates that the floodplain and refuge area
were probably substantially populated at that time, probably by trappers, fishermen, and subsistence
and commercial hunters.
1865-1930
Louisiana re-entered the United States. Between the Civil War and the 1940s, agriculture was the
parish’s major economic base. Most of the Tertiary uplands were cleared and planted in cotton and corn.
By the 1930s and 1940s, much of the cropland was allowed to revert to forest. Lumber, paper, and
mineral companies began buying much of the parish land. Breece Lumber Company acquired much of
the refuge land prior to 1930. During this period also, natural gas was discovered in the refuge area.
1930
Breece Lumber Company sold some of the refuge land to the United Gas Company. Much of this
land was subsequently sold to Union Producing Company.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 39
1969
Union Producing Company changed its name to Pennzoil Producing Company. Pennzoil began leasing the
land to private hunting clubs and continued selective harvest of overcup oak and pecan sawtimber.
About 1977, Pennzoil decided to sell its holdings in the Ouachita River Swamp. Morehouse and Union
Parishes’ Police Juries suggested the LWFC as a possible purchaser. Not having funds, the commission
referred the Service as a possible purchaser. Numerous Service personnel worked toward culminating a
purchase agreement with Pennzoil.
In 1980, a cultural resources survey of pre-selected portions of the refuge was conducted by New
World Research, Inc., a private cultural resource management firm (New World Research 1981). It
was an intensive survey of road easements, a pipeline corridor, and several land tracts projected as
locations for various refuge support and recreational facilities. As a result of the survey, three
prehistoric sites, all apparently dating to the Late Woodland (A.D. 800-1000) and Mississippian (A.D.
1000-1750) periods, were identified. Two of the sites yielded both lithic and ceramic artifacts. The
third was composed solely of prehistoric lithic artifacts. One site yielded not only artifacts, but
evidence of a midden and two shell concentrations. It is likely that more prehistoric sites exist on the
refuge, especially on deposits of Pleistocene age.
The National Register of Historic Places, established by Congress in 1966, is the nation’s official list
of significant historic properties. The National Register recognizes five basic types of historic
properties: historic buildings, such as plantation houses; courthouses or log cabins; historic
structures, such as old bridges, lighthouses, or forts; historic districts, such as old residential or
commercial neighborhoods; historic sites, such as battlefields or Indian mounds; and historic objects,
such as old steamboats or fire engines. It is important to note that not every historic site or old
building or neighborhood is eligible for the National Register. Properties must have some type of
significance: properties that are closely associated with an important person, event, or development;
buildings that are architecturally significant because they are important examples of a particular style
or type, or a method of construction; and, properties that are archaeologically significant because the
remains yield information about the nation’s history or prehistory. Generally, properties are not
placed on the National Register if they are less than 50 years old; if the period of their historical
significance is less than 50 years old; or if they have been significantly altered.
Each state has a historic preservation office which is responsible for nominating buildings, sites,
districts, etc., to the National Register. In Louisiana, this program is administered by the Division of
Historic Preservation, which is part of the Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture,
Recreation, and Tourism. There are two African-American cemeteries and a barn known to be
eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places at this time.
SOCIOECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
The city of Monroe, Louisiana, is situated on the Ouachita River and continues to serve as the
population center and distribution outlet for the surrounding farming community. Monroe is the parish
seat of Ouachita Parish and the principal city of the Monroe, Louisiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area
(pop. 171,188). The 2000 census shows the city had a total population of 52,027, making it the
eighth largest city in Louisiana.
40 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
As of 2000, the racial makeup of the city is 36.78 percent Caucasian, 61.13 percent African-
American, 0.13 percent Native-American, 1.05 percent Asian, 0.03 percent Pacific Islander, 0.25
percent from other races, and 0.63 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race
makes up 1.01 percent of the population.
Monroe is the home of the University of Louisiana at Monroe, CenturyTel (eighth-largest
telecommunications provider in the nation), a motor speedway, and a regional airport. Some of the
local area attractions include: The Monroe Civic Center Complex, Northeast Louisiana Children's
Museum, Biedenharn Museum and Gardens, Masur Museum of Arts, Aviation and Military Museum,
Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo, Louisiana Motor Speedway, and Twin City Dragway.
REFUGE ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT
LAND PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION
The refuge now owns fee title to approximately 4,522 acres within its 6,200-acre acquisition
boundary. The remaining 1,678 acres consist of private lands and Black Bayou Lake itself.
VISITOR SERVICES
Black Bayou Lake is nestled in the heart of the refuge, offering visitors a wide array of outdoor
opportunities. This cypress-studded lake encompasses 1,500 acres and is managed through a
unique 99-year lease with the city of Monroe. Rich in significance, the lake provides not only the
secondary water source to the city but also excellent habitat for wetland-dependent fish and wildlife.
While many visitors come to bask in the lake’s picturesque view, many locals enjoy the consumptive
qualities it has to offer. Black Bayou Lake NWR provides the Service’s six priority wildlife-dependent
recreational opportunities to the public, which are hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, wildlife
photography, and environmental education and interpretation (Figure 10).
Hunting
Black Bayou Lake NWR is open to the public for hunting. Hunters are allowed to hunt on the
northern and eastern portion of the refuge. The refuge has a current and approved hunting plan.
Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations (50 CFR) is updated to reflect the current hunting
program. A compatibility determination has been completed for the hunting program.
The refuge has one large 2,000-acre designated hunting unit, with three permanent parking lots and
unit entrances. Hunters can park in the lots or along the roads of the hunting area and walk or ride
an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or bicycle into the hunting unit; they may not use the public boat launch to
gain entrance into the hunting unit. Hunting is not permitted from the maintained rights-of-way of
roads or the ATV trails. The hunting program has no limitations on participation, but all hunters must
sign and carry an annual permit obtained from the brochure. Commercial guiding is not allowed.
Waterfowl hunting is allowed within Louisiana state regulations. The refuge does not accommodate
early or late season extensions. Waterfowl (duck and coot) hunters can hunt until noon and they may
use retriever dogs. The refuge does not maintain any permanent blinds. Hunters are welcome to
use temporary blinds that they remove at the end of each hunting day. Some hunters choose to take
a small boat into the unit with their ATV from the designated parking areas.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 41
Figure 10. Visitor services on Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
42 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Upland bird hunting is allowed for quail and woodcock during state seasons. Louisiana state
regulations apply and hunters are permitted to bring retriever dogs.
Small mammal hunting is permitted for squirrel and rabbit during the state season, except during the
spring season. Dogs may be used in January and February only.
Raccoon and opossum may be hunted at night from December through January. The hunting
brochure cautions that elevated mercury levels have been found and recommends that raccoons not
be used for consumption.
Coyotes and beavers can be taken from the refuge during all refuge hunts, using weapons that are
legal for the current season. There is no bag limit on these animals.
Archery deer hunting is permitted on the refuge. Possession and use of pods is prohibited. Hunters
are permitted to take 1 deer per day – either sex.
A hunt brochure is produced annually in accordance with Service graphics standards. General
prohibited activities include taking wildlife (frogs, turtles, mollusks) not specifically listed in the
seasons/regulations, target practice, baiting or hunting over a baited area, possessing or using
alcoholic beverages while hunting, open fires, camping or overnight parking, participating in deer
drives, use or possession of lead shot, searching for or removing objects of antiquity, and using
horses or mules on the refuge. Refuge regulations are made available to hunters at headquarters
and kiosks before and during hunting seasons.
Fishing
A highlighted use of Black Bayou Lake is sport fishing, which is permitted year-round during daylight
hours only. Common native game fish caught include bass, crappie, and sunfish. Boats with motors
of 50 horsepower or less may be launched at the designated ramp located adjacent to the Visitor
Center. The required launching fee is $2 per launch paid through a self-service permit located at the
site. All licenses, limits, and boating safety requirements of the lake correspond with those that are
regulated by LDWF.
Wildlife Observation and Photography
Black Bayou Lake NWR offers extensive opportunities for wildlife observation and photography. The
refuge trails are open to visitors during daylight hours and meander through a variety of habitats, including
upland forests, bottomland hardwoods, and cypress-studded lake, prairie, and dike impoundments.
The arboretum allows visitors to walk a paved path through more than 160 species of native trees,
shrubs, and other vegetation. Throughout the arboretum, there are signs provided by the Friends of Black
Bayou, Inc., which identify these species and interpretive panels that provide additional information.
The Prairie Demonstration Area also uses a paved pathway to take visitors into prairie habitat. Staff
planted prairie grasses and wildflowers on approximately 3 acres and maintains this created prairie
area by mowing in the late fall. A wayside panel discusses Louisiana prairies and identifies common
butterflies found in the prairie.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 43
From the headquarters, a raised asphalt/boardwalk nature trail winds through a wetland forest,
cypress brake, and eventually out over the lake. This is considered an inspirational trail and
waysides along the boardwalk are photographs with quotes to encourage visitors to make their own
connections with the natural world.
The Wetlands Art Project primitive trail allows visitors to meander between impoundments where bird
watching is popular. Originally planned as an outdoor art exhibit, only one piece has been installed on the
trail and is an excellent place to view wildlife such as otter, raccoon, various birds, and wetland species.
In addition, a 7-mile primitive trail is maintained around the west side of the lake. This trail features
distance markers and offers visitors an opportunity to get off the beaten path. The mowed trail has
several available loops for those who wish to take a shorter route, but offers a more rigorous hike to
those who are up to a challenge.
Near the boat launch site, visitors can walk to the 400-foot wildlife pier which traverses the lake and loops
into the nature trail. Alligators, turtles, wading birds, and cypress and tupelo trees abound. Two scopes
are mounted on one of two platforms and fishermen are welcome to fish anywhere along the pier.
Funds have been acquired for the development of a self-guided, 8-station, wildlife challenge trail.
Trail participants will have the opportunity to record their physical abilities as compared to specific
wildlife on a score card available at beginning of the trail. The trail will be located in an undeveloped
area within walking distance of the refuge conservation learning center and will provide a new,
physically active and fun way for families and school groups to make connections with nature. Each
station will include an interpretive panel with information about and description of the behavior of
some physical capability of native species of wildlife. The panels will give instructions for participants
to mimic wildlife movement and/or measure their human abilities as compared to those of the wildlife.
A photography blind is open to the public via paved trail and boardwalk. The blind is large
enough to accommodate several people and overlooks a wetland. The staff has installed logs
and other features to attract wildlife closer to the blind. Natural snags and trees enhance the
marsh for wildlife photography.
A concrete walk and sloping ramp built through a baldcypress swamp lead to a raised
observation deck which is wheelchair accessible. The covered deck has a spotting scope for
observing a remote part of the lake.
Near the visitor center, a birding blind has been built. To avoid bird collisions, the blind windows were
installed slanted. Fences, extending from the blind, shelter feeding birds from being disturbed by
approaching visitors. The blind has a solar powered fan and enough room to house 5-10 people.
Outside the blind, feeding stations and water structures attract birds. Additional brush and clearings
are planned to increase bird watching opportunities.
Simply driving the interior roads of the refuge offers wildlife observation and photography
opportunities for visitors. Bobcats, squirrels, and small birds use the habitat alongside the roads.
The refuge mows only one swath on either side for most of the year, allowing native grasses and
flowers to grow up. Killdeer have been found nesting in the gravel and butterflies and dragonflies are
numerous along these roads.
44 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Annual events on the refuge include International Migratory Bird Day, the Refuge Photography
Contest, and the Fall Celebration, which is hosted by the Friends of Black Bayou, Inc., during
National Wildlife Refuge Week. The Friends group also hosted a native plant sale to encourage
native landscaping and to educate the public about invasive species.
These events are timed with migration to provide visitors the best opportunities to observe wildlife,
flowering plants in the prairie, and other refuge resources. All event attendees are given tips on wildlife
observation and taught about the refuge mission. Events are available to individuals with disabilities as a
large portion of the refuge facilities, trails, boardwalks, piers, and overlooks are accessible.
Partners with the refuge are numerous, including the city of Monroe, International Paper, Century Tel,
Monroe Garden Study League, Monroe-West Monroe Convention Visitor’s Bureau, Monroe City
Schools, The Nature Conservancy of Louisiana, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries,
the University of Louisiana at Monroe, Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo, Ouachita Parish
Sherrif’s office, Architecture Plus, Angus Chemical Company, and various other organizations and
individual volunteers.
Environmental Education
Through uniquely developed, environmentally based educational field experiences, staff and
volunteers at Black Bayou Lake NWR provide quality education opportunities for more that 2,500
students annually. Correlated to national and state education standards, the curriculum-based
environmental activities allow students to leave behind their normal indoor classroom and venture
outdoors to discover and connect with nature.
The utilization of facilities, equipment, educational materials, teacher workshops, and several study
sites provides visitors with a safe environment conducive to learning.
Currently, the education staff consists of a park ranger and wildlife refuge specialist who conduct the
majority of the programs offered. The diversity of program audiences include school groups, teachers,
summer camps, university classes, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, church groups, civic clubs, and garden clubs.
Standards, regulations, and requirements have been developed by refuge staff to ensure that the quality
of education delivered is one that is sustainable and does not exceed capacity. Such examples would
include limited group sizes, limited days available, teacher knowledge accountability, and consolidated
grade-specific activities. Such requirements were implemented in autumn 2007.
The environmental education center includes: visitor center; a 100-seat shaded amphitheater/
pavilion; nature trail and pier; arboretum with over 160 native Louisiana woody plants identified;
prairie demonstration area with native grasses and wildflowers; ponds for aquatic investigations; and
a conservation learning center with discovery room equipped with audio-visual equipment, 5
computers, microscopes, water and soil testing equipment, learning stations with teacher-ready
activities and hands-on displays, and large aquaria exhibits of native fishes, reptiles, and amphibians.
The visitor center is a restored 1880s planter's house. It was moved about 1/4-mile to its current
location and renovated by members of the nonprofit group, Friends of Black Bayou, Inc. The
beautifully restored building contains interactive exhibits, which introduce visitors to the refuge's
wildlife and habitats. A "Touch Me!" table filled with bones, snake skins, fur, feathers, and turtle
shells provides hands-on learning for children. The center also has a meeting room and nature shop
on the main floor and offices for the refuge's staff upstairs.
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 45
The Monroe City School System manages 18 primary schools, 13 elementary schools, 4 middle
schools, and 3 high schools. The high schools included in the city system are Carroll High School,
Neville High School, and Wossman High School. The Ouachita Parish School System is responsible
for managing schools outside the Monroe city limits. Monroe is also home to River Oaks School,
New Vision Learning Academy, Ouachita Christian School, St. Frederick's Catholic School, and
Jesus the Good Shepard and Our Lady of Fatima Elementary Schools. Teachers and students from
several surrounding parish school districts also come to the refuge for educational field experiences.
Environmental Interpretation
The exhibits at the visitor center are the main source of interpretive information for the refuge. The
exhibits include the following: Black Bayou Lake panel, North Louisiana NWR Complex panel
diorama, National Wildlife Refuge System and Fish and Wildlife Service panels, Wetlands,
Bottomland Hardwoods, Bats, Red-cockaded woodpeckers, Upland Hardwoods, Invasive Species,
Wonderful Wetlands, Bird Migration (interactive lights), Neotropical Migratory Birds (bird voice
recording), Bayou Diversity (interactive backlighted pictures and voice recorded stories), Human
Connection Across Time, Historic Time Line Panels, Reptile Diorama, and a “Touch Me!” table. The
refuge has interpretive trail signs at major trails and prominent locations on the refuge.
Key resource issues/interpretive themes
The primary themes and messages interpreted on the refuge relate to the missions of the Service
and the Refuge System and to the resource issues facing the refuge complex. The overarching
interpretive theme for the refuge is “Everything in Nature is Connected,” with emphasis on connecting
people with nature.
Personal services interpretation
Monthly interpretive programs, including “Wild Fridays” for families and older children on the last
Friday of every month, and “Tales and Trails” for younger children on the third Thursday of every
month are developed and lead by refuge staff and volunteers. Interpretive programs are also offered
to various groups when requested. The programs are adapted to meet individual visitor needs when
necessary (e.g., the need of persons with disabilities). The park ranger has been trained and
performs personal interpretation. Approximately 3,000 persons attend facilitated interpretive
programs, guided hikes, etc., each year.
Visitor center/information area
Indoor space at the visitor center and conservation learning center is dedicated to resource
interpretation. The space is adequate for the need and demand of groups up to 60 at the visitor
center and up to 100 at the conservation learning center. Both facilities are universally accessible.
Visitor center/information area exhibits
The current exhibits are up-to-date, in good condition, and professionally designed and fabricated.
There is a logical flow from one exhibit to the next, both in the information provided and in the
physical layout. The text is brief, simple, and to the point, and written at an appropriate reading level
for the audience. Exhibits are designed to meet the needs of a diverse audience (e.g., children and
adults). Many of the exhibits are interactive.
Printed materials
The refuge Friends group is developing a series of species-related information pamphlets about wildlife,
the first of which is about turtles. This publication does not comply with the Service graphics standard.
46 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
“Wetland Connections,” a trail brochure developed by staff personnel with natural history information
and nature trail panel and tree descriptions, is available at the visitor center.
The development of a refuge-specific brochure is being planned. This will include information on all
facilities and trails at Black Bayou Lake NWR.
Large print and audio versions of publications are not available to visitors with visual disabilities.
Kiosks and wayside exhibits
Kiosks and wayside exhibits used to interpret key resources and issues are professionally designed
and fabricated, and meet the visitor’s various needs for information. Other kiosk signs and wayside
exhibits for interpreting key resources and issues are planned by the refuge manager and staff.
Portable Exhibits
Two refuge-specific portable exhibits have been produced for interpreting key resources and issues
for off-site audiences.
PERSONNEL, OPERATIONS, AND MAINTENANCE
Black Bayou Lake NWR, being one of five refuges in the North Louisiana NWR Complex, does not
have its own budget. Maintenance and operation monies budgeted to the Complex are spent among
all refuges within the Complex. Occasionally project specific monies are directed to only Black Bayou
Lake NWR in some years. Likewise, staffing issues are complicated. Some positions are assigned
to the Complex while other positions are assigned to certain refuges.
Staff Positions—FY2007 Complex Personnel
Project Leader Refuge Manager
Refuge Operations Specialist Forester
Biologist Equipment Operator
Budget Administrator Maintenance Worker
Park Ranger
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 47
North Louisiana NWR Complex Funding—FY07
Description Account Amount
Refuge Operations 1261 $756,300
Refuge Maintenance 1262 $695,600
$269,100
$89,000
$22,000
Total Complex Operating Budget $1,832,000
Total Complex Budget (including all special project monies) $2,387,200
Private Lands
Private lands work has historically been administered under the Louisiana Wetlands Management
District of the North Louisiana NWR Complex. Black Bayou Lake NWR does not have a private lands
biologist or private lands projects.
48 Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Comprehensive Conservation Plan 49
III. Plan Development
In accordance with Service guidelines and National Environmental Policy Act recommendations,
public involvement has been a crucial factor throughout the development of the CCP for Black Bayou
Lake NWR. This CCP has been written with input and assistance from interested citizens,
conservation organizations, and employees of local and state agencies. The participation of these
stakeholders and their ideas has been of great value in setting the management direction for Black
Bayou Lake NWR. The Service, as a whole, and the refuge staff, in particular, are very grateful to
each one who has contributed time, expertise, and ideas to the planning process. The staff remains
impressed by the passion and commitment of so many individuals for the lands and waters
administered by the refuge.
A planning team composed of refuge staff was formed to prepare the CCP. Initially, the team
focused on identifying the issues and concerns pertinent to refuge management. The team met on
several occasions from February 2008 to December 2008.
In preparation for developing the CCP, the refuge conducted a biological review and public use
review in February 20