Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is located in Cambridge, Maryland. It was established in 1933 as part of the “Atlantic Flyway” migration route for birds. The Blackwater river and Little Blackwater river feed saltwater to the marshes in the refuge. The rivers’ names come from the type of river-a blackwater river-which is any river that gets dyed a dark color by the tannins from decaying plants in the wetland. Tannins are a type of chemical commonly found in tea, berries, and wine. Another component of a blackwater river is that the decaying plants make the water more acidic than normal with a pH between 3.8 and 5.4 (Blackwater rivers, 2022).
The refuge is operated by the US Fish & Wildlife Service–which carries out annual hunts for turkey, deer, and waterfowl. Species of deer in the refuge include the Sika, which were introduced into the refuge from asia. Sika are the species of deer/elk commonly found in Japan in places such as the island of Miyajima (Chris, 2020). Nutria–an invasive species of rodent that can destroy marshes–are also hunted. Thankfully, as of September 2022, the nutria species was declared eradicated from the refuge (Miller, 2022). Until 2024, the US Fish & Wildlife Service is conducting a study of the invasive Snakehead fish–if you catch a tagged fish, you can collect a reward of up to $200 (Tagging study… 2022).
Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge is an important part of US history. Harriet Tubman grew up and lived in the area (Friends… 2022). It is believed that she used the refuge area as a hiding place for slaves as part of the Underground Railroad (Friends… 2022).
There is a day use fee of $3 upon entering the refuge. For more information, check out the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge website
Sources
- Blackwater rivers. (2022). Aguas Amazonicas. Retrieved from https://amazonwaters.org/waters/river-types/blackwater-rivers
- Chris. (2020, September 25). Miyajima: Tips for enjoying its nature and beauty. MATCHA. Retrieved from https://matcha-jp.com/en/10152
- Friends of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. (2022). Harriet Tubman underground railroad national monument. Harriet Tubman National Monument. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://www.friendsofblackwater.org/tubman.html
- Miller, L. (2022, September 28). Nutria eradicated from Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. WBOC TV. Retrieved from https://www.wboc.com/news/nutria-eradicated-from-blackwater-national-wildlife-refuge/article_b2ba42c2-3ee7-11ed-b72e-5b6479c6d97c.html
- Tagging study offers money for harvesting northern snakeheads. Natural Resources News. (2022, May 24). Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2022/05/24/tagging-study-offers-money-for-harvesting-northern-snakeheads/
