description Tensas River NWR Overview
Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area established in 1980 in northeastern Louisiana. It preserves bottomland hardwood forest, wetlands, sloughs, and other habitats associated with the Tensas River floodplain, part of an ecosystem once widespread across the lower Mississippi Valley. The refuge supports migratory birds, white-tailed deer, alligators, and an important population of the Louisiana black bear.
help Tensas River NWR FAQ
Why was Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge established?
The refuge was established in 1980 to conserve bottomland hardwood forest and associated wetlands in northeastern Louisiana. These habitats are remnants of a floodplain ecosystem that once covered a much larger part of the Lower Mississippi Valley.
Are Louisiana black bears found at Tensas River refuge?
Yes, the refuge protects important habitat for the Louisiana black bear. Its large forest blocks, sloughs, and river corridors provide cover and feeding areas in an otherwise heavily altered agricultural region.
Was the ivory-billed woodpecker connected with the Tensas area?
The forests of northeastern Louisiana were part of the bird's historical range. One of the last widely accepted United States sightings was made in the Singer Tract in 1944, southwest of the present refuge.
What is a bottomland hardwood forest at Tensas River?
It is a low-lying deciduous forest shaped by river flooding and saturated soils. Trees such as oaks, sweetgum, elm, ash, and cypress occupy different elevations across the Tensas floodplain.
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