Sabine National Wildlife Refuge

Infobox Protected area
name = Sabine National Wildlife Refuge
iucn_category = IV

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caption = Map of the United States
base_width =
locator_x = 158
locator_y = 147
location = Cameron Parish, Louisiana
nearest_city = Hackberry, Louisiana
coords = (coord|29|54|00|N|93|32|00|W|type:landmark)
area = 124,511 Acre (504 km²)
established = 1937
visitation_num = closed
visitation_year = 2005
governing_body = U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
world_heritage_site =

Sabine National Wildlife Refuge (established in 1937) is a National Wildlife Refuge located in Cameron Parish in southwestern Louisiana. It is on Louisiana State Route 27, eight miles south of Hackberry and 12 miles north of Holly Beach. The western boundary of the Sabine refuge is Sabine Lake, the inlet for Port Arthur, Texas, while the tip of the eastern end reaches Calcasieu Lake.

Wildlife and habitat

Sabine is a 124,511 acre (504 km²) sanctuary, the largest coastal marsh refuge on the Gulf Coast of the United States, and is home to more than 200 of birds; including ducks, common egret, geese, Olivaceous cormorant, raptors, snowy egret, wading birds, and shorebirds. The is also a very large contengent of alligators, as well as blue crabs, minks, muskrats, nutria, otters, rabbits, shrimp, and turtles.

Located at the visitor center is a pamphlet that explains the "Wetland Walkway", a 1.5-mile nature trail made from concrete, a portion of which is a wooden boardwalk, located four miles south of the refuge (HQ). It includes an observation tower, and it has 15 knowledge stations, to acquaint and educate, the visitor with the Gulf Coast marsh. There is a second natural trail, "Blue Goose Trail", north of the camp HQ, that is a one mile round trip with a scenic overlook.

Petroleum exploration is allowed on the refuge. There was an oil spill at one of the well sites in Sabine during the winter of 2002-2003. Most of the spill was cleaned up by burning the oil.

=Hurricane da

Sabine NWR was in the direct path of Hurricane Rita on September 24, 2005 and as a result the National Wildlife Refuge is currently closed to all public uses because of damages sustained during the hurricane.

All of the office buildings, visitor center and maintenance shops were damaged beyond repair and have been removed. There are three remaining structures at the Sabine NWR headquarters area that will be repaired: boathouse, a block storage building and a tin-covered storage shed.

Refuge recreational areas along Highway 27 received varying amounts of damage to bridges, piers, observation towers, boardwalks, restroom facilities, fences, and parking lots. These facilities need to be repaired before the areas can be re-opened for public use. Refuge staff is working with state and local partners, contractors, and other federal agencies to have these repairs completed.

West of Highway 27, Sabine refuge canals and marshes were severely affected by storm wind and water. Approximately 32,000 acres of refuge marshes, levees, and canals were damaged. Canals and marshes are clogged with seven million cubic meters of debris from off shore rigs and coastal communities. There are both physical and chemical hazards present throughout the refuge, many of which have settled below the marsh and water surfaces. Tanks and barrels containing hazardous liquids and gases have the potential to explode or break down and release toxins into the environment. Over 1,400 hazardous material containers have been identified and are estimated to contain between 115,000 and 350,000 gallons of hazardous liquids and gases.

tats

* Location: 29.9002173 -93.5334915
(coord|29|54|00|N|93|32|00|W|type:landmark)
* Elevation: 10 feet (3 m; avg)
* Area:
** Water: 39,844 acres (161 km²)
** Grassland/herbaceous/marsh: 84,667 acres (343 km²)
* Annual visitors: 300,000 (approximately)

ee also

*

References

External links

* [http://www.fws.gov/sabine/ Sabine NWR @ the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service]
* [http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/othrdata/chekbird/r4/sabine.htm Bird Checklists of Sabine NWS from USGS's Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center]
* [http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lch/fire/firephotos1.php Sabine NWR oil spill @ NOAA]