Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge Welcome to the Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge page! For official information about the Refuge, go to www.fws.gov/refuges/Black_Bayou_Lake/

05/26/2026

As we begin the transition from spring to summer, black bear sightings become more common as juvenile males begin to disperse into new territories. This can result in lots of sightings as they follow travel corridors, especially along our local waterways such as the Ouachita River and Bayou Desiard.

This weekend, we received reports that a bear was sighted around the visitor center and shop area. If you do encounter a bear, please allow it to move on. Do not try to approach the bear for better pictures or attempt to scare it away.

*Update- Thursday May 14-Important Message! Update- Refuge staff patrolled the lake this morning in an attempt to gather...
05/13/2026

*Update- Thursday May 14-

Important Message!

Update- Refuge staff patrolled the lake this morning in an attempt to gather samples for testing and discovered that the area from yesterday had dissipated. We covered an extensive area of shoreline well beyond where it was seen yesterday and did not find any more. We will continue to monitor the lake in the coming days. Signage will remain in place for the next week.

Original message-Today, refuge staff detected a Cyanobacteria bloom on the south end of the lake. We will be collecting samples and sending them off for testing. When the results come back, we will post them here. In the mean time, staff will monitor the growth/coverage of the bloom. If you are out on the lake or the shoreline, you should avoid contact with the algae. At this point, there is no need to close the lake.

Like many forested floodplains in the South, parts of what is now Black Bayou Lake NWR were cleared over one hundred yea...
05/08/2026

Like many forested floodplains in the South, parts of what is now Black Bayou Lake NWR were cleared over one hundred years ago for the purpose of farming. Clearing the forest for agriculture changed the legacy of the underlying soils that had been built over thousands of years.
Soon after acquiring the property, trees were planted to begin the process of forest habitat restoration. The majority of the trees that were planted survived and grew very well. So well, in fact, that we decided to selectively thin those trees two years ago. This thinning has helped to improve forest structure within these stands and as a result, allowed for a richer variety of wildlife to enjoy these forests. Hopefully, this treatment will accelerate the rebuilding of the soil by increasing the plant diversity. The two pictures below show an unthinned stand right next to a thinned stand.

Much needed rain has fallen this week at the Refuge! While it’s a welcome sight, much of the southeastern U.S. is feelin...
05/01/2026

Much needed rain has fallen this week at the Refuge! While it’s a welcome sight, much of the southeastern U.S. is feeling the effects of an extended drought. A direct result of the drought conditions has been an increase in wildfire activity. Black Bayou Lake NWR and D’Arbonne NWR have both seen wildfires in the last month. Two lightning strike fires and one human caused fire have made for a bit of a busy spring for our refuge wildland firefighters. We have worked in coordination with private landowners, U.S. Wildland Fire Service crews out of Felsenthal NWR and Barksdale AFB, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry-Monroe office, the Ouachita Parish Fire Department, and the Louisiana Interagency Coordination Center at Kisatchie National Forest in Alexandria to suppress these fires.

As the rains come to a close and burn bans are lifted, please use caution when burning. The majority of all wildand fire ignitions across the United States are humans caused. A little bit of prevention will go a long way!

This year, North Louisiana Refuges Complex is hosting two interns that are conducting pollinator research on all of our ...
04/30/2026

This year, North Louisiana Refuges Complex is hosting two interns that are conducting pollinator research on all of our refuges. Part of the sampling method requires the installation of collection containers. If you happen upon these colorful cups placed on stakes on any of our refuges, please leave them alone. They will be removed once data collection is complete!

Doing a bit of catch up posting.With enormous assistance from the Friends of Black Bayou Lake NWR, this past fall we ins...
04/25/2026

Doing a bit of catch up posting.

With enormous assistance from the Friends of Black Bayou Lake NWR, this past fall we installed an emergency generator at our Conservation Learning Center. The main purpose was to protect our live animal exhibits during periods of prolonged power disruption.
Fast forward to this past January. The historic ice storm that affected so many people in North Louisiana also impacted refuge. Thanks to this generator and our amazing resident volunteers, the animals in the CLC were kept safe!

04/25/2026

We have had a great run of good weather the last few weeks that has resulted in an increase in visitors to the refuge.

Trail cleanup from the ice storm has continued. Several hiking trails totaling 1.75 miles were cleared and mowed this week

We have also noticed an increase in litter being left behind. Today, a large ice bag filled with fish remains was pulled from the boat ramp area, where an alligator was hanging out close by.

Do not dispose of fish remains in the lake. This can easily create human/alligator conflict issues.

Please help us out by putting litter in its place.

Conservation in action.Today, staff from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Natchitoches Nationa...
03/24/2026

Conservation in action.

Today, staff from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery closed out a chapter in a very unique program. 5 juvenile alligator snapping turtles were released into Black Bayou Lake this afternoon(a larger release happened a week or so ago). This event was the culmination of a larger effort with staff from both agencies and the University of Louisiana-Monroe.
Before the release, we were fortunate to be able to show these juvenile turtles to a few youngsters who were out enjoying the refuge with their families!

Resident volunteers and refuge staff have been hard at work! As of this afternoon, the Edgewater trail section from the ...
02/13/2026

Resident volunteers and refuge staff have been hard at work! As of this afternoon, the Edgewater trail section from the boat ramp to the observation tower is clear of ice storm debris. Please continue to exercise caution when using these trails as there are still many broken, hanging limbs suspended in trees. Windy conditions are predicted this weekend, so more limbs are likely to fall into the trails.

The concrete walking trails around the CLC and the arboretum have also been cleared and the same caution should be applied there as well.

In the coming weeks, we will continue to work to remove hazardous limbs and tree debris from the area. If you encounter barricades or flagging, please respect them as we may be working with heavy equipment.

Black Bayou Lake NWR roads and infrastructure have sustained damage during this winter storm. Please use caution while v...
01/27/2026

Black Bayou Lake NWR roads and infrastructure have sustained damage during this winter storm. Please use caution while visiting the refuge in the coming days, as trees continue to be impacted. Trails and boardwalks have been severely affected by falling trees and limbs. Some roads may be temporarily closed due to fallen trees and power lines. Staff will be cleaning up and clearing roads and trails in the coming days and weeks.

Photo credit: USFWS staff

Address

480 Richland Place Drive
Monroe, LA
71203

Telephone

+13183871114

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