Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1963 primarily to preserve coastal wetlands as wintering and breeding habitat for migratory waterfowl. It is located on the west shore of Delaware Bay, approximately 22 miles southeast of Dover, the State capital, and 64 miles southeast of Wilmington, Delaware. Prime Hook NWR is managed primarily to provide nesting, resting, and feeding habitat for migratory waterfowl, with maintenance of optimum black duck wintering habitat being an important objective. Waterfowl production, especially for black ducks and wood ducks is becoming increasingly important. Water levels in the marsh are manipulated at different times of the year via water control structures to stimulate the growth of emergent aquatic plant species which serve as a food source. Refuge habitat types are varied and are managed to maintain a diversity of wildlife species. Prime Hook consists of over 9,700 acres, approximately 7,400 acres of which are fresh marsh, tidal marsh, and open water. Other habitats include approximately 1,000 acres of timber and brush and 1,300 acres of grasslands and croplands. Public use objectives at Prime Hook are to provide wildlife-oriented recreational opportunities compatible with habitat and wildlife objectives. Since the signing of the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, appropriate public uses of the Refuge System include six major wildlife-dependent recreational uses and are: hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, environmental education, and environmental interpretation.

Location:
11978 Turkle Pond Road
Milton, DE 19968
(302) 684-8419
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/primehook/

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