Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge

39°23′28″N 81°25′15″W / 39.39117°N 81.420708°W / 39.39117; -81.420708^[1]Area3,354 acres (13.57 km²)Established1990Governing bodyU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceWebsiteOhio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge

The Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge (ORINWR) is a National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in non-contiguous sites consisting of islands along 362 miles (583 km)^[2] of the Ohio River, primarily (85% of acreage)^[3] in the U.S. state of West Virginia.

There are also two islands that are located upstream in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and a pair that are located downstream in Lewis County, Kentucky.^[4]

Looking downstream, the refuge is currently located in parts of these counties: Beaver, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel, Tyler, Pleasants, Wood, Jackson, Mason, and Lewis. All counties are part of West Virginia, with the Pennsylvania and Kentucky exceptions that are mentioned above.

History

The ORINWR was established in 1990 and consists of 3,354 acres (13.57 km²) of land and underwater habitat on twenty-two islands and four mainland properties.

The refuge headquarters with visitor center is located in Williamstown, West Virginia.

Islands

The following islands in the Ohio River are part of the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge. All are located in West Virginia unless indicated otherwise.

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

External links

• Official website
• The short film Ohio River National Wildlife Refuge (2009) is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.