Lake Ophelia National Wildlife Refuge

Lake Ophelia National Wildlife Refuge
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area)
Map showing the location of Lake Ophelia National Wildlife Refuge
Map showing the location of Lake Ophelia National Wildlife Refuge
Map of the United States
LocationAvoyelles Parish, Louisiana
Nearest cityMarksville, Louisiana
Coordinates31°12′12″N 91°50′45″W / 31.2034°N 91.8457°W / 31.2034; -91.8457
Area17,500 acres (71 km2)
Established1988
Visitors25,000 (in 2004)
Governing bodyU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
WebsiteLake Ophelia National Wildlife Refuge

Lake Ophelia National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1988 to protect the Mississippi/Red River floodplain ecosystem. The refuge is located in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, east central Louisiana. The refuge is named for its most prominent water body, the 350-acre (1.4 km2) Lake Ophelia that was at one time a channel of the nearby Red River of the South.