Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge |
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10216 Lee Road Boynton Beach, FL 33437 E-mail: loxahatchee@fws.gov Phone Number: 561-732-3684 |
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Visit the Refuge's Web Site: http://www.fws.gov/loxahatchee |
Aerial photo of refuge interior tree islands during the wet season . | ||
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is located seven miles west of the city of Boynton Beach in Palm Beach County, Florida. The refuge was established in 1951 under the authority of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act and is managed through a license agreement between the South Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In total, the refuge includes 145,800 acres of northern Everglades habitat. The refuge contains one of three water conservation areas (WCA's) in south Florida and is maintained to provide water storage and flood control, as well as habitat for native fish and wildlife populations. Water is regulated by a series of pumps, canals, water control structures, and levees built by the Army Corps of Engineers. These freshwater storage areas and part of the Everglades National Park are all that remain of the original Everglades. Getting There . . . The refuge is located about 10 miles west of Boynton Beach, Florida. It is accessible from Interstate 95 and the Florida Turnpike by going west on either Boynton Beach Blvd or Atlantic Ave in Delray Beach, until you reach Highway 441/State Road 7. From Boynton Beach Blvd., proceed south on Hwy 441/SR7 for two miles and turn west onto Lee Road. Get Google map and directions to this refuge/WMD from a specified address: |
Environmental Education Fishing Hunting Interpretation Photography Wildlife Observation Learn More >> The refuge's management activities focus primarily on wetland habitat restoration, particularly through water quality and hydropattern improvement, and exotic plant control. A large portion of refuge management effort is spent controlling exotic and invasive plants and pursuing funding to eliminate these threats. The three most problematic exotic plant species on the refuge are melaleuca, Brazilian pepper, and Old World climbing fern (lygodium). The refuge is working together with many other federal and state agencies regionally in South Florida to address these issues and restore Everglades habitat for the benefit of wildlife. |
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