Red River National Wildlife Refuge

Red River NWR is located in the Red River Valley which historically was forested with bottomland hardwoods, cypress sloughs and shrub/scrub swamps, providing a variety of habitats for wildlife. In the early 1800’s, settlers began clearing land for homesteads and farms after the Louisiana Purchase. The mid-1800’s brought more clearing for cotton farming and during the mid-1900’s, deforestation accelerated with the increase in soybean prices.