[2] Overflow National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was established in 1980 to protect one of the last remaining bottomland hardwood forests in the Mississippi Alluvial Plains.

[3] These forests are considered vital for wintering migratory waterfowl populations in the Mississippi Flyway.

[5] Overflow NWR has been recognized as a state-wide Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society.

[6] Carefully timed flooding of the bottomlands and moist-soil units stimulates the growth of native wetland plants, insects, crustaceans, and mollusks.

[7] These high energy foods are crucial for the survival of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds.