Washington DC Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

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Location: 2145 Key Wallace Dr., Cambridge, Maryland

Washington DC Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, located 12 miles south of Cambridge, Maryland, was established in 1933 as a refuge for migratory waterfowl.

The refuge includes more than 26,000 acres, composed mainly of rich tidal marsh characterized by fluctuating water levels and variable salinity. Other habitat types include freshwater ponds, mixed evergreen and deciduous forests, and small amounts of cropland and managed impoundments that are seasonally flooded for waterfowl use. Originally established for migratory birds, primarily ducks and geese, this park is one of the chief wintering areas for Canada Geese using the Atlantic Flyway.

Geese number approximately 35,000 and ducks exceed 15,000 at the peak of fall migration, usually in November. Blackwater is also haven for two of our nation's threatened or endangered species. The bald eagle (which has been upgraded from endangered to threatened) and Delmarva fox squirrels are regularly seen on the Refuge. Before its designation as a Refuge, the marshland along the middle Blackwater River was managed as a fur farm.

Muskrats were the primary species trapped. Most of the wood lands, including the islands, had been timbered at one time. Remains of old drainage ditches and furrows which crisscross in some existing woods indicate past agricultural use.