Purpose: To restore 100 acres of permanent wetlands and moist-soil habitat on Wheeler NWR through installation of two water control structures and construction of 650 feet of levee. This compartment will provide several management options including open-water, shallow flooded row-crops, and shallow flooded moist-soil plants at lower elevations. As water accumulates during the fall, a 50-acre open-water pool will serve as a resting and feeding area adjacent to nearby agricultural fields. As more water accumulates, the perimeter areas will flood about one foot deep providing either natural moist-soil seeds or planted waterfowl foods. This project will retain water in fall and winter, thus providing valuable foraging habitat to migrating and wintering waterfowl near the Tennessee River and will be managed by the USFWS.
Location: Approx. 4 miles east of Decatur, AL (Limestone County)
Acres Impacted: 100 acres
Habitat Type: Permanent Emergent Wetlands
Moist-soil Wetlands
Flooded Agricultural Crops
Partners: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Ducks Unlimited, Inc
Timeline: Construction was completed in summer 1994
DU Contact: Craig Hilburn
Manager of Conservation Programs
chilburn@ducks.org
