Reelfoot National Wildlife Refuge protects lands around Reelfoot Lake in northwest Tennessee and western Kentucky as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. Serving mainly as a buffer around Tennessee’s only large natural lake, it preserves a wetland landscape created after the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811–1812 and supports especially rich habitat for waterfowl, aquatic life, and other wildlife. Established in 1941 and expanded several times, the refuge now covers 10,428 acres, including land not added to Reelfoot Lake State Park. Some of its acreage is leased for farming under stricter conservation practices that help reduce silt runoff and protect the lake’s ecological health.