September 26th marks a decade that the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Karnack, Texas, has been open to the public. Many elected officials at the local, state and federal level, as well as employees of their agencies,
September 26th marks a decade that the Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Karnack, Texas, has been open to the public. Many elected officials at the local, state and federal level, as well as employees of their agencies, alongside local nonprofits and local people, all had a hand in the journey to opening this resource to the public. In 1997 the decommissioning of the Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant allowed the Caddo Lake Institute to lease significant lands at the plant to prove the ecological value of the site. That resulted in an agreement for the transfer of ownership from the U.S. Army to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, creating the overlay Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge on October 19, 2000. The plant has been gradually conveyed to USFWS as remediation by E.P.A. is completed.
The Refuge Officially opened to the public on September 26th, 2009. At the Refuge, the public has access to 6 miles of roads for auto tours and bicycles, 6 hiking trails providing over 10 miles of trail, multiple bird blinds, as well as the Visitor Center, the Starr Ranch Pavilion and boat ramp for canoes and kayaks, as well as 9 miles of horseback trails. The Refuge also hosts white-tailed deer hunts and feral hog hunts, with special opportunities for youths and hunters with disabilities.
The Refuge purpose is the management, conservation, and protection of migratory birds and other fish and wildlife. This bottomland hardwood forest ecosystem provides essential habitat for a diversity of migratory and reside