The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission (LWFC) approved a resolution to add the Wham Brake Reservoir Tract to Russell Sage Wildlife Management Area (WMA) during its monthly meeting Thursday in Baton Rouge.
Wham Brake, approximately 4,950 acres, is located in Ouachita and Morehouse parishes. Wham Brake was constructed in the 1950s on International Paper land through a joint effort with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.
International Paper donated Wham Brake to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) in 2012. With the addition of Wham Brake, Russell Sage WMA, located in Ouachita, Morehouse and Richland parishes, will now encompass almost 40,000 acres.
According to the resolution, Wham Brake, “shall be used exclusively for wildlife management purposes and, as such, is perpetually dedicated to the protection, conservation, and management of wildlife and their habitat, and such public recreation as hunting and trapping, which is consistent with these purposes.’’
LDWF has been working with conservation partners since the acquisition of Wham Brake, developing an updated and improved water control system. The new system will allow improved water drawdowns on the site to more appropriately manage waterfowl forage production.
Russell Sage WMA is located approximately seven miles east of Monroe and 10 miles west of Rayville. Access is provided via U.S. Highway 80, Louisiana Highway 15 and Interstate 20. For more information on Russell Sage WMA go to http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/wma/2777 or contact the LDWF Monroe Field Office at 318-343-4044.