Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge near Harlingen in South Texas is the largest remaining protected natural habitat in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Established in 1946 to protect migratory birds and waterfowl, especially redhead ducks, it later expanded across resacas, brush-covered lomas, coastal prairie, and wetlands. Its importance grew beyond waterfowl as northern aplomado falcons were reintroduced there beginning in 1985, and it also supported other endangered or threatened species including the Texas ocelot. Ongoing vegetation and wetland restoration, along with a 2024 proposal to add acreage through a land swap, reflect its central conservation role on the lower Texas coast.