Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge

This is the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge home page. It is accessible from all the pages in the Southeast Louisiana (SELA) Refuges Complex web site in the menu on the left.

There are eight National Wildlife Refuges in the SELA Refuges Complex. The mission of these refuges and the National Wildlife Refuge System is to administer a national network of lands and waters for the conservation, management and where appropriate, restoration of the fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats within the United States for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.

Photo of the marsh along Bayou Lacombe from Lake Road

Each of the programs in the SELA Refuges Complex also has a page. Each of the programs is accessible from all the pages in the SELA Refuges Complex web site in a menu on the left side or near the bottom of the page.

Contact information for all the refuges can be found on the Contact Us page.

Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge was formed in 1994. It is comprised of 18,000 acres of pine flatwoods, oak ridges, fresh, brackish and saltwater marsh. This diverse habitat is a wonderful example of the natural coastline of Lake Pontchartrain surrounded by fast developing communities.

Directions to the Refuge: The refuge headquarters is co-located with the Southeast Louisiana Refuges' headquarters on a beautiful property in Lacombe, Louisiana, The offices are on Hwy 434 two miles south of I-12 (Exit 74) and just north of the intersection of 434 and Highway 190. Look for the Big Branch Marsh Refuge sign. Office Hours are 7 AM to 4 PM Monday through Friday. Our phone number is (985) 882-2000. The headquarters property is known as "Bayou Lacombe Centre." See the documents below for maps and brochures.

Refuge Visitor Center - The refuge complex has opened it's visitor center located at the complex headquarters address above. The center displays exhibits about all eight refuges managed by the Southeast Louisiana Refuges Complex. Staffed by volunteers, the visitor center will remain open on Thursdays-Saturdays from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Volunteers are needed to help run the visitor center. Please contact the volunteer coordinator at 985-882-2024.

Photo of a fire crew member using a drip torch to start a prescribed fire in the pine flatwoods

Endangered and Threatened Species on the Refuge: The red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) is found in the pine flatwoods of the refuge. We actively work to improve habitat for the RCW. Among other methods we use precribed fire. See the Endangered Species page and the Fire Management page for more information.

The brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is listed as an endangered species but all populations of brown pelican (Gulf Coast, California/West Coast, Caribbean and Latin America) were proposed for delisting in 2008. The brown pelican is a year-round resident of southeast Louisiana.

The American alligator was de-listed as an endangered species in 1987 but remains listed as threatened due to similarity in appearance to the endangered American crocodile.

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was de-listed as a threatened species in 2007. Several bald eagles visit the refuge each year.

Other Wildlife Species: Rabbit, turkey, various neo-tropical birds, deer, squirrel, migratory waterfowl, ospreys and other raptors, wading birds.

Photo of a freshwater marsh with lilly pads

Habitat Zones: The refuge has unique habitat zones that contain diverse combinations of plant communities. These zones begin with the sandy beach fringing Lake Pontchartrain. Moving inland, the next zone is the brackish marsh. The third zone has a water level that is slightly below the marsh floor where the predominant plants are wiregrass and spike rush. The farthest inland plant zone is the upland zone and it consists of pine flatwoods and bottomland hardwood hammocks.

Management Goals: Efforts are being taken to protect and manage habitat for the future through preservation, enhancement, and restoration of this valuable wetland and pine flatwoods ecosystem.

Opportunities for Public Use: Environmental education, birding, fishing, hunting, biking, hiking, wildlife observation, photography and canoeing. One of our major public use areas is the Boy Scout Road boardwalk and trail. All hunters must read, sign and have in their possession, a Refuge Hunting Permit as found on the front of the Hunting and Fishing Regulations brochure. See the documents below for additional information, maps and brochures.

Environmental Education: We provide environmental education programs at the refuge and in schools. For more information see our Environmental Education page.

Photo of the new boardwalk on the Boy Scout Road Trail

Events: We sponsor and support several events at Big Branch Marsh NWR and the SELA Refuges Complex throughout the year. The most significant event is "Wild Things" which is held at the Refuge Complex Headquarters (Bayou Lacombe Centre) in Lacombe , Louisiana. The event is held every year in October on the Saturday of National Wildlife Refuge Week (the Saturday after Columbus Day.) We also support or cooperate with the Great Louisiana Bird Fest in April, International Migratory Bird Day on the second Saturday in May and National Hunting and Fishing Day on the fourth Saturday in September. For more information about specific events see the SELA Refuge Event Calendar.

Hurricane Damage: The facilities at Big Branch Marsh NWR were damaged by Hurricane Katrina. The Boy Scout Road Trail boardwalk was destroyed but a new and improved boardwalk was built in early 2007. The other facilities on the refuge have been repaired or rebuilt. Sections of marsh vegetation were damaged and thousands of trees were destroyed or damaged. We planted trees on the refuge in 2006, 2007, and 2008. A marsh restoration project was completed in 2008 in the Goose Point and Point Platte areas and Christmas tree fences have been placed in some areas of the marsh. Discarded Christmas trees placed in these fences slow wave action, trap sediments, and combat erosion.

Documents, maps, aerial photos and brochures related to the refuge can be found here.

Document Name	Description	Size
Refuge Map and Information Sheet	Map of the Refuge and Additional Information	355k
Refuge Fact Sheet	Additional information about the refuge	108k
Refuge Bird List	Checklist of birds found at the refuge	112k
Hunting and Fishing Regulations	Hunting and fishing regulations, refuge hunting permit and map of the refuge.	337k
Final EA and Recreational Hunting Plan (This is a large file!)	Environmental assessment of the hunting plans for the refuge	4mb
Final Compatibility Determination for Recreational Hunting	This document evaluates the compatibility of hunting with other refuge activities	247k
Final Recreational Hunting Plan	This is the final recreational hunting plan	207k
Viewable Hunting Area Map	This full-size map can be viewed and zoomed when downloaded	649k
Printable Hunting Area Map	This map will print on a regular sheet of paper after being downloaded	359k

Last Updated on December 8, 2008