Lake Lewis
Refuge Manager

 Directions to Refuge

 Fact Sheet

 Deer Quota Hunt

 Turkey Hunt Applying Procedures/Dates of Hunts

Refuge Facts

• Established: 1980.
• Acres: 12,247.
• Also administers: Oakwood Unit, established: 1990. Acres: 2,263. Desha County, AR.
• Located in Ashley County, AR.
• Other management: 84 acre easement.
• Location: the refuge lies five miles west of Wilmot, AR. From Highway 165 to Highway 173W, to parking lot at end of pavement.
• Oakwood NWR location: go five miles NE of Dumas, AR on Highway 165 then take Highway 277 to refuge.

Natural History

• The western boundary follows the 110-foot contour along the Mississippi Alluvial Valley escarpment, an abrupt rise in elevation separating the Mississippi River Delta from the Gulf Coastal Plain.
• Bottomland hardwood 9,427 acres, agriculture fields 2,620 acres and upland pine-hardwood 200 acres.
• Oakwood Unit represents the largest contiguous tract of land transfer from the FmHA; no public access. Habitat acreage - bottomland hardwoods-200, watefowl impoundments-700 and reforested-1,363 acres.

Financial Impact of Refuge

• Four-person staff.
• 15,000 visitors annually.
• Current budget (see Felsenthal NWR).
• Resident and non-resident visitors generated $435,203 in expenditures.

• Provide a diversity of habitat types for migratory waterfowl and other birds.
• Provide habitat and protection for threatened bald eagle.
• Provide opportunities for environmental and ecological research.
• Provide a variety of recreational opportunities consistent with primary wildlife objectives.
• Expand the public’s understanding of and appreciation for the environment with special emphasis on natural resources.

Management Tools

• Water management for waterfowl, wading birds and shorebirds.
• Cooperative farming.
• Prescribed fire.
• Mechanical/chemical control of noxious plants.
• Wildlife management with public hunting.
• Law enforcement.

Public Use Opportunities

• Trails.
• Wildlife observation.
• Photography.
• Hunting.

Calendar of Events

August: Shorebird Festival.

October: muzzleloader deer hunting.

October-January: archery deer hunting, rabbit/squirrel hunting.

November-January: waterfowl hunting season.

Questions and Answers

When will the Greentree Reservoir be flooded?

Flooding of the Greentree Reservoir is dependent on rainfall/creek flow. Attempts to hold water will begin in mid-November with expectations that the reservoir will be filled to spillway level by mid-December.

Yes. Waterfowl seasons and limits are consistent with state and Federal regulations. State and Federal duck stamps are required for anyone over the age of 15 along with a signed permit from the front of the refuge hunting regulation brochure. Also see hunting regulations brochure for waterfowl sanctuary areas closed to public entry and other pertinent waterfowl hunting regulations.

The refuge can be accessed by seven access points along the western boundary off graveled county road # 342. Access on the east side is off the State Highway 8-State Highway 173 cutoff and off State Highway 173. Most access points are at ATV trail heads. The towns of Wilmot and Parkdale are located 4 to 6 miles to the east of the refuge on U.S. Route 165.

Good places to hunt are in the “eyes of the beholder” and generally associated with habitat needs and populations levels of the species you are hunting. Fortunately, game animals are fairly well dispersed throughout their associated habitats on the refuge. However, there are always “hotspots” that seem to hold more game than others. Scouting is the only sure way of finding the best areas.

Overflow NWR is located approximately 22 miles southeast of Crossett, AR and accessed by Highway 82 to Highway 52 to County Road #342 which parallels Overflow Creek. From the east, the refuge is located 5 miles west of Wilmot, AR and can be reached by traveling Highway 173. There is no direct Highway access except by Highway 173. The use of a county map and the Overflow NWR Hunting Regulations Brochure map is recommended. On-refuge travel is limited to boats, ATV (on designated trails only during certain times of the year) and foot.

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