Atchafalaya National Wildlife Refuge is a protected wetland in south Louisiana within the vast Atchafalaya Basin, established in 1986 as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Its bottomland hardwood forests, cypress-tupelo swamps, lakes, and bayous support rich wildlife, including more than 200 bird species, notable nesting wood ducks, American woodcock, deer, otters, beavers, and a remnant population of Louisiana black bears. Fish and crayfish are central to the basin’s ecology and human use, sustained by seasonal flooding and dewatering. In 1988 the refuge became part of the Sherburne Complex Wildlife Management Area, and in 2011 flooding forced its temporary closure after the Morganza Floodway was opened.