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Big Boggy
National Wildlife Refuge		 Two brown pelicans cavort in the water at Big Boggy NWR.
6801 County Road 306
Brazoria, TX   77422
E-mail:
Phone Number: 979-849-5118
Visit the Refuge's Web Site:
http://southwest.fws.gov/refuges/texas/texasmidcoast/index.htm		 Brown pelicans are a common sight at Big Boggy NWR.
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  Overview
Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge
Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge consists of flat coastal prairies, salt marshes, and two large saltwater lakes. Established to provide habitat for migratroy waterfowl and other bird species, Big Boggy includes Dressing Point Island in East Matagorda Bay, a major rookery for colonial nesting birds on the Texas coast. The refuge is the smallest in the Texas Midcoast Refuges Complex. Its 4,526 acres may be small but holds an impressive number of waterfowl - up to 55,000 geese and 15,000 ducks annually.


Getting There . . .
The refuge borders Matagorda Bay, about seven miles south of Wadsworth and 20 miles from Bay City. From Brazoria, Texas, drive west on FM 521 to Chinquapin Road. Turn left (south) and drive by Big Boggy NWR to Chinquapin Landing.

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Wildlife and Habitat
As many as 30 warbler species regain their strength here after an arduous migration across the Gulf. Shorebird flocks glide over marshes.

Summer's typical drought conditions may concentrate breeding waterbirds like white ibises, roseate spoonbills, reddish egrets, wood storks, black-crowned night herons, and black-necked stilts. The elusive black, clapper, and king rails nest on the refuge. Dragonflies land at arm's length. Female alligators build nests and raise their young.

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History
The Karankawa Indians once thrived on this land's rich bounty of fish and wildlife. Long before the first European settlers. they paddled dugout canoes along the coast between Galveston and Matagorda Bays. In 1528, Spaniard Cabeza de Vaca was shipwrecked on this coast and lived with the Karankawas for six years. By 1825, the area bustled with sugar cane and cotton trade that was first under Spanish, then Mexican authority. More recently, ranchers grazed cattle on what eventually became the refuge.

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    Alert!
The refuge is closed to the public.




Recreation and Education Opportunities
Hunting
Photography
Wildlife Observation
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Managment Activities

Several management activities are conducted at Big Boggy NWR to maintain viable habitats at the refuge.

Water manipulation at three impoundments are conducted annually to provide wintering areas for waterfowl. During drought cycles, the refuge may aquire water from the local irrigation district to allow refuge staff to provide quality habitat for migrating birds.

Controlled burns allow the refuge staff to regenerate forage vegetation, open areas up for use by wildlife, and control invasive plant species.

Refuge staff also conduct wildlife surveys to determine the number of animals using the refuge and assist with management planning.