CVJ 

 CVJ 



< G A 9. Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Acreage: 330,880. 



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^ Location: Charlton, Clinch, and Ware counties; Valdosta and Waycross 



2 1 :250,000 quadrangles; 8 miles S of Waycross, just off U.S. 1 and 23. 



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Description: One of the most extensive upland swamps in the southeastern 

 United States. It is underlain by considerable deposits of peat ranging up to 20 ft 

 in depth. Major wetland types include shallow marshes (locally called prairies), 

 wooded swamps or bays, water courses which merge with marshes, and marginal 

 bogs (locally called strands) which include sphagnum bogs and fern bogs 

 (Wright and Wright 1932). Although much of the wetland is forest, 60,000 

 acres of the area is open marsh or "prairie" where grass, sedges, rushes, water 

 lilies, arrowheads, golden club, pickerel weed, swamp marigold, and swamp iris 

 comprise the marsh vegetation. Bird life is especially abundant. Anhingas, Sand- 

 hill Cranes, egrets, ibis. Wood Ducks, and wild turkey are among the diverse 

 bird fauna. Other animal life includes bear, alligator, raccoon, otter, and white- 

 tailed deer. Within the refuge are two natural areas: The Okefenokee Sweet 

 Bay Natural Area (RNA-51;SAF-104) (2560 acres), dominated by sweet bay, 

 tupelo, and red maple; and the Okefenokee Pond Cypress Natural Area ( RNA- 

 46;SAF-1()0) (14,989 acres). 



References: Wright, A. H., and A. A. Wright. 1932. The habitats and com- 

 position of the vegetation of Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia. Ecol. Monogr. 2:1 10- 

 121. 



Ownership: BSFW. 



Data source: BSFW, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; RNA-46,RNA-5 1 . 



