Washita National Wildlife Refuge

35°36′30″N 99°15′02″W / 35.60838°N 99.25065°W / 35.60838; -99.25065^[1]Area8,075 acres (32.68 km²)Established1961<"EOHC-WNWR"/>Governing bodyU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceWebsiteWashita National Wildlife Refuge

Washita National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) of the United States located in Custer County, Oklahoma. Created in 1961 on the shore of Foss Lake, it was the fourth NWR in the state. It is 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Butler, Oklahoma.^[2]

Within the refuge, the slow-moving Washita River winds through prairie and cropland to merge with Foss Reservoir, providing a home and resting area for geese and other waterfowl. Gently rolling hills, ravines, and bottomlands laced with creeks shelter wildlife as common as white-tailed deer and as unusual as the Texas horned lizard, a state-listed endangered species.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has reported 270 bird species as having been seen in the NWR. These include occasional sightings of the bald eagle and rare sightings of whooping cranes. Outdoor activities allowed in the NWR include birdwatching, boating, hiking, fishing, and limited hunting. Hunting is allowed only in certain seasons and with special permits. Quarry includes deer, geese, sandhill cranes, quail, and rabbits.^[2]

References

Refuge website

^ "Washita National Wildlife Refuge". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
^ ^a ^b O'Dell, Larry. "Washita National wildlife Refuge Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture.] Accessed January 9, 2018.

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Protected areas of Oklahoma

Federal

National Historic Sites	Fort Smith Washita Battlefield
National Forests	Ouachita
National Recreation Areas	Chickasaw
USFS National Recreation Areas	Winding Stair Mountain
National Scenic Areas	Beech Creek
National Grasslands	Black Kettle Rita Blanca
National Memorials	Oklahoma City
National Wildlife Refuges	Deep Fork Little River Optima Ozark Plateau Salt Plains Sequoyah Tishomingo Washita Wichita Mountains

State

State Parks	Alabaster Caverns Arrowhead Beavers Bend Black Mesa Boiling Springs Cherokee Landing Clayton Lake Fort Cobb Foss Gloss Mountain Great Plains Great Salt Plains Greenleaf Keystone Lake Eufaula Lake Murray Lake Texoma Lake Thunderbird Lake Wister Little Sahara McGee Creek Natural Falls Osage Hills Quartz Mountain Raymond Gary Robbers Cave Roman Nose Sequoyah Sequoyah Bay Talimena Tenkiller
Grand Lake State Park areas	Bernice Cherokee Disney/Little Blue Honey Creek Spavinaw Twin Bridges
Wildlife Management Areas	Altus-Lugert Arbuckle Springs Atoka Thomas A. Bamberger Sr. Barren Fork Beaver River Beaver River - McFarland Unit Blue River Broken Bow Hal and Fern Cooper Honobia Creek McCurtain County Pine Creek Pushmataha
Other	Arcadia Conservation Education Area Atoka Public Hunting Area Black Mesa Nature Preserve Hugo Lake
Oklahoma Historical Society	Cabin Creek Battlefield Fort Gibson Historic Site Fort Supply Historic Site Fort Towson Historic Site Honey Springs Battlefield Hunter’s Home Pawnee Bill Ranch and Museum Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center White Hair Memorial Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch
Oklahoma Commissioners of the Land Office	Manages land for revenue to fund schools

Local

Former state parks	Adair Park Beaver Dunes Park Boggy Depot Park (Choctaw Nation) Brushy Lake Park Crowder Lake University Park Dripping Springs Park Heavener Runestone Park Lake Eucha Park Okmulgee Park Red Rock Canyon Adventure Snowdale (closed) Wah-Sha-She Park Walnut Creek (closed)

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National Wildlife Refuges of the United States