Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge


	Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
	509 Washington Street Anahuac, TX 77514 E-mail: Phone Number: 409-267-3337
	Visit the Refuge's Web Site: http://southwest.fws.gov/refuges/texas/anahuac/index.html	American alligators are common inhabitants in the sloughs at Anahuac NWR.

Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
The chorus of thousands of waterfowl, the splash of an alligator going for a swim, the rustle of wind moving through coastal prairie, and the high-pitched call of a fulvous whistling duck are just some of the sounds you may hear when visiting Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. This 34,000-acre haven for wildlife is located on the upper Texas gulf coast.

The meandering bayous of Anahuac NWR cut through ancient floodplains creating expanses of coastal marsh and prairie bordering Galveston Bay. Prevailing breezes bring in moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in high humidity and an average annual rainfall of over 51 inches. Coastal marshes act as a huge sponge, holding and siphoning water from tropical storm tides and upstream flooding. These marshes, combined with the coastal prairie, provide a home for an abundance of wildlife, from migratory birds to alligators.

Getting There . . .
Directions to the Refuge: Houston: Take I 10 East to Exit #812 (TX 61 or Anahuac/Hankamer exit). Head south on 61 for nearly four miles to the stop sign. Continue through. The road becomes Hwy. 562. Continue for approximately 8.5 miles to the fork in the road, which is FM 1985. At the fork, turn left and continue for an additional 4 miles to the main entrance of the refuge. Turn right on the easement road for another 3 miles. Signs will be posted.

Beaumont: Take I 10 West. Exit # 829 (Hwy. 73/124 or Winnie/Galveston exit). Head south on Hwy 124 for approximately 11 miles to FM 1985. Turn right onto FM 1985 and head west for nearly 11 miles to the main entrance of the refuge. Turn left on the easement road for another 3 miles. Signs will be posted.

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These driving directions are provided as a general guide only. No representation is made or warranty given as to their content, road conditions or route usability or expeditiousness. User assumes all risk of use.

Anahuac NWR is an important link in the chain of national wildlife refuges extending along the gulf coast of Texas and Louisiana. The goal of refuge management is to provide habitat for native fish and wildlife.

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Anahuac NWR shares its name with the town of Anahuac. The name is an Aztec word (watery plain) but the area had no connection with the Aztecs, or any other distant peoples. Anahuac was part of the territory of the Atakapa and perhaps Karankawa Indians, a small and scattered population of nomadic people who resided here for centuries, and fished, hunted, and gathered every available plant and animal resource that the region could offer. The remnants of discarded shell fish and campsites dot the landscape, but there were no permanent settlements here.

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Fishing
Hunting
Photography
Wildlife Observation
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Multiple management tools are used at Anahuac NWR. They include grazing, farming, prescribed burning, exotic plant control, shoreline stabilization, and water level manipulation. Burning and grazing practices clear away dense old vegetation that is quickly replaced by the new green growth preferred by many species of wildlife. Exotic plant control helps maintain the natural diversity present in coastal ecosystems. Water level manipulations can change the habitat to provide food and cover for fish and wildlife.

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