Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area

Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)[1]
Entrance sign for Green Bottom WMA
Map showing the location of Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area
Map showing the location of Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area
Location of Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area in West Virginia
LocationWest Virginia, United States
Coordinates38°35′19″N 82°14′37″W / 38.58861°N 82.24361°W / 38.58861; -82.24361
Area1,096 acres (4.44 km2)[2]
Elevation540 ft (160 m)[3]
OperatorWildlife Resources Section, WVDNR

Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area is located on former plantation lands of U.S. Congressman and Confederate General Albert G. Jenkins.[4] The 1,096 acres (444 ha) in Cabell County and Mason County are located along the banks of the Ohio River about 16 miles (26 km) north of Huntington, West Virginia.[2] The Green Bottom WMA land is a mixture of farmland, mixed hardwood forest, wetlands, and open water.[5] The Jenkins Plantation Museum is located on Corps of Engineers land adjacent to the WMA. The museum is located in the original 1835 Green Bottom Plantation House, and is operated by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.[5]

Hunting and fishing

Fishing opportunities abound at Green Bottom from in the wetlands, along the banks of the Ohio River, and from boats using the local boat ramp. Popular game fish in the Ohio River include smallmouth bass, sauger, channel catfish, hybrid striped bass, carp, crappie, and freshwater drum. The state record bowfin fish was caught at Green Bottom.[citation needed]

Available hunting can include deer, rabbit, mourning dove, squirrel, and waterfowl.[2] Deer hunting is permitted only with muzzle loading rifles or archery bows. Camping is not permitted in the WMA.

Wildlife watching

Green Bottom WMA is also a popular location for watching wildlife. Over 100 species of birds are regularly seen each year along the river bottom. More than 30 mammals, as well as several amphibians and reptiles, are available for viewing.[5] Structures such as nesting boxes and man-made islands have been built to improve the habitats for species ranging from the Jefferson salamander to the gray fox. The Green Bottom Nature Trail and boardwalk provides easier access to the wetlands and forest lands of the WMA.

Green Bottom House, now the Jenkins Plantation Museum, is located adjacent to the Green Bottom WMA.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area". Protected Planet. IUCN. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Green Bottom WMA page". WV Division of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  3. ^ Acme Mapper 2.0, Green Bottom WMA, retrieved October, 2008
  4. ^ Flora Smith Johnson (July 1947). "The Civil War Record of Albert Gallatin Jenkins, C. S. A." West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  5. ^ a b c Mark Damian Duda. "FIELD TRIP: Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area". West Virginia Wildlife Magazine. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
  6. ^ "KY-OH-WV Tri-State". KY-OH-WV Tri-State. Retrieved 2020-07-12.