ST. TAMMANY WILDLIFE REFUGE

St. Tammany Wildlife Refuge is located on the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain adjacent to the Fontainebleau State Park in St. Tammany Parish. The property extends about 10 miles along the lakeshore, and stretches inland 100 - 1,300 feet. The St. Tammany tract was part of a larger acquisition purchased by the state from the Great Southern Lumber Company in 1938. Most of the original purchase is now owned and maintained by the State Parks Commission, but 1,309.54 acres remain as a wildlife refuge managed by the Fur and Refuge Division.

Erosion is a major problem on this area due to wave action from Lake Pontchartrain. Current acreages are certainly less than when originally purchased. Wiregrass and three-corner grass are dominant vegetative species on the area. A variety of resident wildlife species inhabit the refuge including furbearers and alligators. The St. Tammany Refuge also serves as a resting and feeding area for wintering waterfowl. This small refuge serves an important purpose as a resting area for waterfowl, with heavy hunting pressure in adjacent private marshes.

Management of this area is conducted through the Baton Rouge office. Past research on the area includes a cooperative investigation with Louisiana State University researchers into the ecology and management of three-corner grass.

Back to Wildlife Refuges