The Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for Columbian White-tailed Deer (JBH) manages over 5,600 acres of pastures, forested tidal swamps, brushy woodlots, marshes, and sloughs along the Columbia River to benefit wildlife, particularly Columbian white-tailed deer. The most highly managed areas are the JBH Mainland Unit (about 2000 acres) and Tenasillahe Island (about 1700 acres), which consist of lowland habitat typified by mixed deciduous vegetation, wetlands, and reed canary grass (RCG). The landscape is a mosaic of forest and meadow providing habitat for CWTD and many other wildlife species (see USFWS 2010 for full description).JBH utilizes several different habitat management methods to improve habitat for CWTD and other wildlife species. Forage improvement includes but is not limited to forage habitat enhancement, cattle grazing, and mowing. The end result of these efforts is higher-quality forage plots surrounded by cover in place of what was a larger monoculture of unpalatable RCG.Much of the JBH Mainland unit is wetland habitat with groundwater at the soil surface in some areas and just below the soil surface in others. The refuge is only slightly above sea level and experiences tidal inflows ranging from -1 to 9 feet due to backup of the Columbia River. The area is protected by a dike which prevents inundation of the area, but is permeable to water seepage.
