Atlantic coast joint venture waterfowl implementation plan
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Planning Area: Ohio River Valley, West Virginia Focus Areas: Ohio River 
Area Description: This planning area consists of the islands of the Ohio River, the back channels and riverine habitats associated with these islands, and adjacent wetland, embayment and bottomland habitat within the Ohio River floodplain in West Virginia. The planning and focus area spans 450 kilometers (280 miles) of the Ohio River corridor and includes 401,714 hectares (992,653 acres). Most of the habitats within this area have been classified as Resource Category I under the United States Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Policy. This area, particularly the islands, back channels, and embayments, have long been recognized by state, federal, and private organizations as having high quality fish and wildlife, recreational, scientific and natural heritage value. Ownership/Protection: The majority of the Ohio River floodplain area is privately owned. The Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), established in 1990, protects 22 islands and 3 mainland tracts totaling approximately 1,416 hectares (3,500 acres) of floodplain habitats. A total of 30 islands are targeted for acquisition or protection, and over 809 hectares (2,000 acres) of embayments and wetlands in West Virginia are identified for protection. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resource owns over 404 hectares (1,000 acres) of lands and open water along the Ohio River at Green Bottom Wetland Management Area. Special Recognition: The islands, wetlands, and backwater embayments of the Ohio River were identified as high quality habitats in the Unique Ecosystem Concept Plan for the State of West Virginia (USFWS 1979), Regional Wetland Concept Plan (USFWS 1980), the Corps of Engineers’ Ohio River Ecosystem Restoration Program (2000), and the State of West Virginia’s Ohio River Fund Plan (1993). Waterfowl: Twenty-eight species of waterfowl use the planning and focus areas during migration, wintering and/or nesting. Other waterbird species (such as loons, grebes, gulls, terns, plovers, sandpipers, and wading birds) depend on the river, embayment, and wetland areas for migration, nesting, or wintering habitat. Southern James Bay Population Canada Goose are regularly sighted along the Ohio River in the winter. The combination of deep water (mostly ice-free), shallow water wetlands, submerged aquatic beds, and adjacent farm fields makes the Ohio River corridor valuable migration and wintering habitat. Table 1. Waterfowl species using the Ohio River Valley Planning Area and Ohio River Focus Area.
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