From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge
is a part of the U.S. system of
National Wildlife Refuges
consisting of an area of Northwest Tennessee and Western Kentucky that consists primarily of a buffer zone around
Reelfoot Lake
,
Tennessee
's only large natural lake. It formed after the
New Madrid earthquakes of 1811?1812
and is one of the
Mississippi River
Basin's richest locations for waterfowl, aquatic life, and other wildlife.
It covers 10,428 acres (4,220 ha) and comprises primarily lands adjacent to the lake that have not been included in the Tennessee State Park system. The refuge was established in 1941 and has been expanded on several occasions. Some of it consists of
agricultural
land that is leased to farmers, but they are required to use stricter
conservation
practices than were widespread when the same land was held in private ownership, primarily to lessen the
siltation
of the lake and surrounding bodies of water.
References
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This article incorporates
public domain material
from websites or documents of the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
.
External links
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