Beaver River Wildlife Management Area

Beaver River Wildlife Management Area
Beaver River WMA
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Location within Oklahoma
LocationBeaver County, Oklahoma
Nearest citySoutheast of Turpin
Coordinates36°48′50″N 100°40′13″W / 36.81389°N 100.67028°W / 36.81389; -100.67028
Area18,623.51 acres (75.3667 km2)
Governing bodyOklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC)

Beaver River Wildlife Management Area (Beaver River WMA) is a 18,624-acre (7,537 ha) protected area in Beaver County, Oklahoma.[1] The McFarland Unit, a section of the management area, has an additional area of 5,110.32-acre (2,068.07 ha).

Ecology

Located near the town of Turpin, the management area consists mostly of grassland, with a considerable amount of sand plum, sagebrush, buffalo grass, and salt cedar. Along the Beaver River, trees such as American Elm, Hackberry, and Cottonwood are present.[1]

McFarland Unit

BeaverRiver WMA includes the McFarland Unit, which has an additional 5,110.32 acres (2,068.07 ha) with the Beaver River running through sections of the protected area.[2]

Conservation

The northern population of the Lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), with habitat in Oklahoma (especially Beaver County and the WMA), Colorado, Kansas, and a portion of northern Texas, is considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973.[3][4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Beaver River WMA". Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  2. ^ "Beaver River WMA - McFarland Unit". Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  3. ^ "Conservation Program Benefits an Iconic Bird of the Southern Great Plains". U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
  4. ^ Elmore, Dwayne; Bidwell, Terry; Ranft, Rachael; Wolfe, Don (April 2017). "Habitat Evaluation Guide for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken". Oklahoma State University: Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Retrieved September 29, 2025.