Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Map of the United States
Location	Mississippi County, Arkansas, United States
Nearest city	Manila, Arkansas
Coordinates	35°55′N 90°07′W / 35.917°N 90.117°W / 35.917; -90.117Coordinates: 35°55′N 90°07′W / 35.917°N 90.117°W / 35.917; -90.117
Area	11,047 acres (44.71 km2) (2014)
Established	1915
Governing body	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Website	Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Big Lake National Wildlife Refuge is an 11,047-acre (45 km²) National Wildlife Refuge located in Mississippi County, Arkansas, managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. It is situated 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Manila, Arkansas, and consists mostly of a shallow lake, swamp, and bottomland hardwood forests. The preservation of habitat for waterfowl in an intensely agricultural region is the primary purpose of the refuge. 6,400 acres (20 km²) of Big Lake is classified as a National Natural Landmark and 2,144 acres (8 km²) are classified as wilderness.

Prior to the 1811–12 New Madrid earthquakes the Little River flowed unimpeded through the flat lowlands adjacent to the Mississippi River in Arkansas and the Missouri Bootheel. The earthquake altered the drainage pattern of the region and created Big Lake. The region was known to the first White settlers as the "Great Swamp" and consisted of hardwood forests, especially bald cypress, wooded swampland, and open water.

After the American Civil War railroads were built through the region and exploitation of the timber began. The Big Lake area was also popular with hunters because of its abundant waterfowl. Market hunters killed white-tailed deer and ducks and netted largemouth bass and crappie to sell the meat in cities and hunting clubs acquired large tracts for sport hunting. This created problems with the local residents who depended upon hunting for subsistence. Locals, mostly poor, were shut out of land acquired by hunting clubs and timber companies. The result was the "Big Lake Wars" from the 1870s to 1915 which pitted the locals against the sportsmen and market hunters. Legal disputes as well as fights, shootings, and burnings of clubhouses resulted.