Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)

Location	Genesee and Orleans counties, New York, United States
Nearest city	Batavia, New York
Coordinates	43°07′00″N 78°21′05″W / 43.116667°N 78.351389°W / 43.116667; -78.351389Coordinates: 43°07′00″N 78°21′05″W / 43.116667°N 78.351389°W / 43.116667; -78.351389
Area	10,828 acres (43.82 km²)^[1]
Established	May 19, 1958
Governing body	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Website	Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge

The Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge in Genesee and Orleans counties in western New York.^[1] The refuge is located between the cities of Buffalo and Rochester and is operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

The refuge headquarters and visitor center are located at 1101 Casey Road in Alabama, New York.^[2] The Orleans County portion of the refuge lies in the town of Shelby.

History

The refuge was created in 1958 as the Oak Orchard National Wildlife Refuge, however the name was soon changed to avoid confusion with the similarly named Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area, a state-owned conservation area adjacent to the federal refuge at its eastern boundary. Both areas, along with the Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area, located on the western side of the federal land, are used not only as stopping points for waterfowl and other migratory birds, but also to provide habitat for a variety of other animals. All three areas constitute the Alabama Swamp Complex. Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service while Oak Orchard and Tonawanda Wildlife Management Areas are managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Facilities

The 10,828-acre (43.82 km²) refuge encompasses several large pools (separated by dikes), swamps, meadows, fields, and woodlands. There are four overlooks and four trails that are open throughout the year. All areas of the refuge, except the nature trails, overlooks, and fishing areas, are closed from March 1 to October 1 to protect nesting birds and other wildlife.^[2] Each year at least one of the large pools is drained to allow restoration of the wetland. The refuge has been designated as an important bird area (IBA) because it is a key resting spot for birds when they are migrating.

Structure

The western half of the refuge is divided into four large wetlands: Cayuga Pool, Mohawk Pool, Oneida Pool, and Seneca Pool. The Feeder Road, an unpaved north-south road, separates the Seneca and Cayuga pools from the other two. Cayuga Pool off of Route 77 has an observation platform in the parking lot. Kanyoo Trail, located nearby to the east, has two loops (0.33 and 1 mile [0.53 and 1.61 km] long). Feeder Road (3.5 miles [5.6 km] one way) is open to pedestrians year round.

The eastern half of the refuge contains a scattering of smaller pools, many marshy areas, fields, and upland forests. The Swallow Hollow Trail (a 1.3-mile [2.1 km] loop) is located at the eastern edge of the refuge on Knowlesville Road and circles Swallow Hollow Marsh. The Onondaga Trail (1.2 miles [1.9 km] one way) is located off Sour Springs Road and passes along the north side of Onondaga Pool into a mature woods.

Geography

The wetlands are watered by Oak Orchard Creek.

New York State Route 63 is a north-south highway passing through the center of the refuge.

Public use

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge allows hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, nature observation, and photography. Non-motorized boats may be used on Oak Orchard Creek between Knowlesville Road and NY-63. Bicycles are permitted only on public roads within the refuge. Hunting, fishing and trapping are allowed in-season with the proper permits.

Prohibited activities include camping, disturbing historical artifacts, swimming, fires, removing wildlife and plants, horseback riding and off-road vehicle use, and carrying firearms except during hunting season (with permit).

The Iroquois Job Corps is located within Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge at 11780 Tibbets Road in Medina.

References

1 2 "Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
1 2 "Plan Your Visit - Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved May 5, 2016.

External links

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge

Protected areas of New York

Federal

National Historic Sites, Parks and Districts	Christman Eleanor Roosevelt Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt Martin Van Buren Sagamore Hill Saint Paul's Church Saratoga Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Women's Rights Erie Canalway Kate Mullany affiliated Thomas Cole affiliated

National Memorials	Federal Hall General Grant Hamilton Grange Statue of Liberty

National Monuments	African Burial Ground Castle Clinton Fort Stanwix Governors Island

National Trails	Appalachian Trail North Country Trail

National Seashores and Recreation Areas	Fire Island Gateway Upper Delaware

National Wildlife Refuges	Iroquois Long Island Complex Amagansett Conscience Point Elizabeth A. Morton Lido Beach Oyster Bay Sayville Seatuck Target Rock Wertheim Montezuma Shawangunk Grasslands Wallkill River

National Forests	Finger Lakes

Wilderness Areas	Otis Pike Fire Island High Dune

State parks

State historic sites

Preserves and sanctuaries

Public preserves	Albany Pine Bush Forest Preserve Adirondack Park Saint Regis Canoe Area Santanoni Preserve wilderness areas Catskill Park Hudson River Estuary Long Island Pine Barrens Reinstein Woods Rome Sand Plains Tahawus Vischer Ferry Welwyn

The Nature Conservacy	Accabonac Harbor Andy Warhol Visual Arts Arthur W. Butler Memorial Atlantic Double Dunes Bear Swamp Calverton Ponds Chaumont Barrens Clintonville Pine Barrens Coon Mountain Deer Lick Denton El Dorado Beach Eugene and Agnes Meyer Everton Falls Freund Gadway Sandstone Pavement Barrens Hannacroix Ravine Henry Morgenthau Indian Brook Assemblage Ironsides Island Kenrose Limestone Rise Lisha Kill Long Island Center for Conservation Long Pond Lordsland Lower Poultney River and Saddles Marrion Yarrow Mashomack Mianus River Gorge Mildred E. Grierson Memorial Moccasin Kill Montauk Mountain Moss Lake Mount Holly Nellie Hill Neversink O.D. von Engeln Otter Creek Pawling Peconic Estuary Big Woods Pine Neck Roger Perry Memorial Ruth Wales Schunemunk Mountain Shadmoor Silver Lake Bog Spring Pond Bog Stewart Lewis A. Swyer Thompson Pond and Stissing Mountain Uplands Farm West Branch Whitbeck Memorial Grove

Other preserves	Angle Fly Baxter Bergen-Byron Swamp Black Rock Forest Brandreth Park Calder Center Louis C. Clark Cornell Botanic Gardens Ferncliff Forest Heiberg Memorial Forest James Lime Hollow Mohonk Peabody Plotter Kill Sagamore Camp Sam's Point Teatown Lake Turkey Mountain Turner Brook Theodore Roosevelt Wallkill Valley Woodlawn Zurich Bog

Other (lists)

National Historic Landmarks National Natural Landmarks Botanical gardens Nature centers New York City parks POPS WWI New York state forests wild historic sites parks wildlife management areas Trails rail trails

Category
New York City
NYS DEC
NYS OPRHP
Commons

National Wildlife Refuges of the United States

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/27/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.