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Big Lake averages only three feet (one meter) in depth. The refuge consists of 8,138 acres (21 km) of open water interspersed with wooded swampland at normal water levels. Most of the remaining land is seasonally flooded. In times of flood, 99 percent of the refuge can be under water. The lake
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and drainage and irrigation ditches, leaving Big Lake as an island in a sea of agricultural cultivation. In 1915, with the wildlife populations seriously in decline and agricultural development increasing, the U.S. government established Big Lake
National Wildlife Refuge, the third oldest inland
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to sell the meat in cities, and hunting clubs acquired large tracts for sport hunting. This created problems with the local residents who depended upon hunting for subsistence. Locals, mostly poor, were shut out of land acquired by hunting clubs and timber companies. The result was the "Big Lake
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The large network of man-made ditches in the
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Wars" from the 1870s to 1915, which pitted the locals against the sportsmen and market hunters. Legal disputes as well as fights, shootings, and burnings of clubhouses resulted.
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About 227 species of birds have been identified in the Big Lake area. The refuge hosts wintering and migrating waterfowl, with as many as 200,000 present during the winter.
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undertook to divert silt-laden water around the refuge. Water quality has improved and wildlife populations have increased as a result.
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In the early twentieth century, rice cultivation was established in
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Bordering the refuge on the north is the contiguous
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and bald cypress. The drier parts of the refuge are also forested in hardwoods, including several species of
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The refuge is open to the public year round, although it is sometimes closed during floods.
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369:, weighing 16 pounds 8 ounces (7.5 kg), was caught in the refuge in 1976.
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419:"National Natural Landmarks - National Natural Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service)"
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http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2418
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http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2418
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http://www.thearmchairexplorer.com/arkansas/big-lake-national-wildlife-refuge
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http://www.fws.gov/refuges/land/PDF/2014_Annual_Report_of_LandsDataTables.pdf
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are permanent year-round residents, with about 2,500 chicks born each year.
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began to nest on the refuge in 1993. Other animals found include the
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http://www.agfc.com/fishing/Pages/ArkansasStateFishingRecords.aspx
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flowed unimpeded through the flat lowlands adjacent to the
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http://www.agfc.com/hunting/Pages/wmaDetails.aspx?show=040
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Map of Big Lake
National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas.
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President
William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home
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1631:Bodies of water of Mississippi County, Arkansas
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193:. It is situated 2 miles (3.2 km) east of
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497:http://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/wildView?WID=42
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480:Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
463:Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
446:Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture
201:. 2,144 acres (8 km) are designated as
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1616:Landforms of Mississippi County, Arkansas
302:is bordered by a virgin swamp forest of
144:11,047 acres (44.71 km) (2014)
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285:federal wildlife refuge to be created.
191:United States Fish and Wildlife Service
1646:National Natural Landmarks in Arkansas
1606:National Wildlife Refuges in Arkansas
508:"Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge",
478:"Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge",
444:"Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge",
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253:, wooded swampland, and open water.
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42:IV (habitat/species management area)
1636:Protected areas established in 1915
532:Wildlife Management Area Details",
382:Missouri Department of Conservation
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557:Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge
386:Big Lake Wildlife Management Area
179:Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge
171:Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge
33:Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge
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1641:1915 establishments in Arkansas
873:National Wild and Scenic Rivers
645:Little Rock Central High School
220:The refuge features old-growth
181:is an 11,047-acre (45 km)
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235:1811–12 New Madrid earthquakes
161:U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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1147:Plantation Agriculture Museum
1002:Hampson Archeological Museum
291:U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
187:Mississippi County, Arkansas
84:Mississippi County, Arkansas
1575:U.S. Minor Outlying Islands
1215:Poison Springs State Forest
1157:Poison Springs Battleground
1122:Museum of Natural Resources
1027:Jenkins' Ferry Battleground
376:Adjacent conservation areas
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404:"Statistical Data Tables"
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1225:Wildlife Management Areas
1167:Prairie Grove Battlefield
1092:Marks' Mills Battleground
737:National Wildlife Refuges
199:National Natural Landmark
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1177:South Arkansas Arboretum
1082:Lower White River Museum
183:National Wildlife Refuge
947:Bull Shoals-White River
632:National Historic Sites
495:"Big Lake Wilderness",
818:Buffalo National River
701:National Military Park
543:, accessed 19 Jan 2015
523:, accessed 15 Jan 2015
499:, accessed 19 Jan 2015
486:, accessed 19 Jan 2015
469:, accessed 19 Jan 2015
452:, accessed 19 Jan 2015
408:, accessed 10 Jan 2015
365:. The Arkansas record
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433:Year designated: 1974
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1626:Wetlands of Arkansas
992:Delta Heritage Trail
942:Arkansas Post Museum
906:North Sylamore Creek
245:in Arkansas and the
1580:U.S. Virgin Islands
1256:Arkansas portal
1012:Historic Washington
813:Black Fork Mountain
157:Governing body
121: /
18:Big Lake Wilderness
1077:Louisiana Purchase
967:Crater of Diamonds
539:2015-01-19 at the
519:2015-01-19 at the
258:American Civil War
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673:Ozark–St. Francis
461:"Big Lake Wars",
361:and occasionally
355:white-tailed deer
262:white-tailed deer
247:Missouri Bootheel
243:Mississippi River
189:, managed by the
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125:35.917°N 90.117°W
94:Nearest city
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16:(Redirected from
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223:
218:
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206:
204:
200:
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99:
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88:United States
85:
82:
71:
70:United States
55:
46:
41:
40:IUCN category
36:
31:
19:
1508:South Dakota
1498:Rhode Island
1493:Pennsylvania
1473:North Dakota
1247:
1207:State Forest
1037:Lake Charles
1007:Herman Davis
749:
528:
504:
491:
479:
474:
462:
457:
445:
440:
432:
426:. Retrieved
422:
413:
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379:
371:
328:
300:
287:
279:
255:
251:bald cypress
239:Little River
232:
222:bald cypress
178:
177:
1570:Puerto Rico
1423:Mississippi
1338:Connecticut
1042:Lake Chicot
1022:Jacksonport
997:Devil's Den
987:DeGray Lake
934:State Parks
848:Leatherwood
823:Caney Creek
790:White River
755:Cache River
622:Hot Springs
423:www.nps.gov
351:wild turkey
339:river otter
335:Bald eagles
320:river birch
268:and netted
185:located in
149:Established
128: /
104:Coordinates
68:Map of the
1595:Categories
1538:Washington
1458:New Mexico
1453:New Jersey
1328:California
1137:Petit Jean
1117:Mount Nebo
952:Cane Creek
780:Pond Creek
770:Logan Cave
765:Holla Bend
760:Felsenthal
640:Fort Smith
428:2019-03-20
392:References
331:Wood ducks
316:cottonwood
297:The refuge
256:After the
203:wilderness
1548:Wisconsin
1513:Tennessee
1418:Minnesota
1393:Louisiana
833:East Fork
828:Dry Creek
785:Wapanocca
745:Bald Knob
709:Pea Ridge
363:armadillo
324:red maple
312:green ash
1533:Virginia
1483:Oklahoma
1463:New York
1438:Nebraska
1428:Missouri
1413:Michigan
1403:Maryland
1388:Kentucky
1368:Illinois
1343:Delaware
1333:Colorado
1323:Arkansas
1162:Powhatan
1107:Moro Bay
1097:Millwood
901:Mulberry
886:Cossatot
838:Flatside
808:Big Lake
775:Overflow
750:Big Lake
668:Ouachita
597:Arkansas
537:Archived
517:Archived
224:forests.
80:Location
1553:Wyoming
1528:Vermont
1433:Montana
1373:Indiana
1353:Georgia
1348:Florida
1318:Arizona
1308:Alabama
727:Buffalo
605:Federal
347:raccoon
274:crappie
229:History
167:Website
116:90°07′W
113:35°55′N
1488:Oregon
1443:Nevada
1383:Kansas
1358:Hawaii
1313:Alaska
1072:Logoly
359:bobcat
343:beaver
304:tupelo
282:levees
237:, the
1518:Texas
1398:Maine
1363:Idaho
1017:Hobbs
977:Daisy
925:State
266:ducks
1565:Guam
1523:Utah
1478:Ohio
1378:Iowa
1233:List
322:and
272:and
264:and
152:1915
141:Area
595:in
308:oak
1597::
512:;
482:,
465:,
448:,
431:.
421:.
357:,
353:,
349:,
345:,
341:,
326:.
318:,
314:,
310:,
205:.
86:,
1289:e
1282:t
1275:v
585:e
578:t
571:v
20:)
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