great dismal swamp national wildlife refuge chris lowie refuge manager

Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge

Chris LowieRefuge Manager


1763 – George Washington Visited the Swamp

1909 – Camp Manufacturing Lumber Company

Logging was a significant activity for centuries for financial benefit

Camp logged for nearly 40 years

Completely changed the habitat communities of the swamp to what it is today


1974 – Great Dismal Swamp NWR“A Gift To The Nation”

Land donated by Union Camp Corp. in 1973 as Dismal Swamp NWR

Partnership with The Nature Conservancy 49,000 acres - largest donation of public land

Dismal Swamp Act of 1974 established Great Dismal Swamp NWR“ . . . primary purpose of protecting and

preserving a unique and outstanding ecosystem, as well as protecting and perpetuating the diversity of life therein.”



To Today Over 112,900 acres of

forested wetland Ecosystem Inherited 150 miles of ditches Highly altered hydrology

175 square miles

Great Dismal Swamp NWR Hydrologic History

1890 1973

Why Great Dismal Swamp for NAI Workshop

A Glimpse Into the Future

(from Present Occurrences)

Lateral WestSouth One


Current Fire Statistics for Albermarle Sound Refuges

GDSNWR; 2004 - 2011 11 wildfires 15 starts in one month in 2007 2 largest and most expensive in Refuge and VA

history in last three years

3 Refuges combined in Albermarle Watershed 2008 and 2011; four fires 94,000 acres 20 million metric tons of carbon


We estimate that the 20 million metric tons of carbon released in four fires would equate to annual greenhouse gas emissions from over 14,000,000 passenger vehicles or annual CO2 emissions of 17 coal fired power plants.


Atlantic White Cedar


Fish and Wildlife Service Climate Change Strategic Plan

Adaptation

Mitigation

Engagement

Hydrologic Restoration to Increase Resiliency

of the NWRs

It’s Good for Wildlife and PeopleIt’s Good for Wildlife and People


Water Management


What We Know: Our system of ditches drain away precipitation quicker than

what would have taken place historically

Frequent and prolonged periods of drought significantly lower our water table, leaving peat soils vulnerable to wildfire, soil subsidence, and oxidation of carbon

Frequency, severity, and intensity of wildfires has increased dramatically in recent years

Coastal mid-Atlantic conservation lands are experiencing loss of habitat due to rising sea levels and ground subsidence (Alligator River NWR)

Many plant species have begun to bloom earlier


What We Think Is Likely:

Wildlife will need escape routes to higher habitat as rising sea levels inundate coastal areas

Extreme weather events (hurricanes, droughts) to increase in frequency

Altered synchronology – food web disturbances Certain species may become at risk due to lack of

availability of expected food sources upon their migratory arrivals (birds) or from emergence (insects)


What We Are Doing: Hydrological research to determine the actual

impact of the ditch systems on the ground water table

Installation of more water control structures to increase resiliency (adaptation)

Working with partners to conserve wildlife corridors allowing for upland movement of species

Soil accretion for carbon sequestration (mitigation)

Contributing to priority action items of the FWS Climate Change Strategic Plan


Who We Are Telling: Agency leaders – RO, WO, DOI; Refuges,

Ecological Services, Migratory Birds Partners and potential funding sources

And How: Fact sheets Video Face-to-Face briefings

Wildlife-oriented recreation: Hiking

Now, how do we tell our story to the public?


great dismal swamp national wildlife refuge chris lowie refuge manager

Documents

swamp slide

dismal swamp nwr partnership

earlier slide

nai workshop slide

metric tons of carbon

rising sea levels

miles of ditches

loss of habitat