Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge is a
National Wildlife Refuge located in
Jefferson County, Alabama, within the city limits of
Bessemer. Watercress Darter NWR consists of a pond known as Thomas Spring which is essential to the survival of the endangered
watercress darter
The watercress darter (''Etheostoma nuchale'') is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to the e ...
. A second pond was built on the site in 1983. The facility is unstaffed, but is administered by the
Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge
Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located in eastern Alabama, near Anniston, Alabama on the former site of Fort McClellan. It takes its name from some of the last remaining mountain longleaf pine (''Pinus ...
in
Anniston, Alabama
Anniston is the county seat of Calhoun County in Alabama and is one of two urban centers/principal cities of and included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 23,106. Acc ...
.
Wildlife
The facility operates exclusively to protect the endangered
watercress darter
The watercress darter (''Etheostoma nuchale'') is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a darter from the subfamily Etheostomatinae, part of the family Percidae, which also contains the perches, ruffes and pikeperches. It is endemic to the e ...
.
Facilities
The refuge is open to the public and offers limited opportunities for hiking and wildlife photography. Fishing is not permitted on the refuge for the protection of the watercress darter.
See also
*
List of National Wildlife Refuges
As of 2022, there are 588 National Wildlife Refuges in the United States, with the addition of the Green River National Wildlife Refuge. Refuges that have boundaries in multiple states are listed only in the state where the main visitor entrance i ...
References
External links
Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge homepageRecreation.gov overview
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National Wildlife Refuges in Alabama
Protected areas of Jefferson County, Alabama
1980 establishments in Alabama
Protected areas established in 1980