Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge
Management Activities

The role of management is significant on this refuge. Before man began altering the environment, nature provided processes to recycle nutrients and provide a network of living spaces to meet the needs of a variety of wildlife. Wildfires caused by lightening provided diverse habitats which provided homes for many species. Man's biggest impact on wetland habitats has been the long term tendency to ditch and drain. Changing the hydrology of the entire system impacted every part of that system. Peat soils were meant to hold water. Besides the subtle impacts on the species which where dependent on the original water regime, draining these peat soils caused a tremendous fire hazard. Fires that burn in the drained pocosins are very difficult to control. Without raising the water table for the entire area, firefighters are helpless to control these fires that can burn underground for miles.

Hydrological Restoration

One Refuge objective is to restore historical water levels on the Refuge by slowly plugging man-made drainage ditches. Not only will this reduce fire danger, it will re-establish valuable wildlife habitat.

Moist Soil Management

A 5,100 acre agricultural area was added to the Refuge several years after its establishment. This farmland offered a turn key operation for waterfowl management. Currently the area is divided into moist soil management units, agricultural lands farmed by cooperative farmers and permanent or semi-permanent water areas. By providing deverse habitats, the Refuge provides for many different wildlife species.

Wildlife Censuses, Inventories and Nesting Programs

A number of census programs are in place to monitor various wildlife populations ranging from the American alligators to neotropical migrants. Wood duck boxes have been erected through the canal system of the Refuge to provide cavities for wood duck nesting.

Waterfowl Banding

The Refuge bands wood ducks in the late spring and summer.

Atlantic White Cedar Reforestation

A project is underway to establish conditions on cut-over areas to encourage regeneration of the Atlantic white cedar, a unique, scarce, coastally restricted wetland forest community.

Special Studies

In cooperation with universities, special studies are sometimes conducted on the Refuge. Examples include monitoring and evaluating the black bear population and evaluating the effects of agricultural practices on quail populations. The Refuge encourages outside entities to propose wildlife research projects on Refuge lands. Selected projects must benefit the Refuge and provide needed information on wildlife populations or habitats.

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