| Currituck National Wildlife Refuge | |
|---|---|
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
  Map of the United States Show map of the United States Currituck National Wildlife Refuge (North Carolina) Show map of North Carolina | |
| Location | Currituck County, North Carolina, United States |
| Nearest city | Knotts Island, North Carolina |
| Coordinates | 36°28′06″N75°51′24″W / 36.4683°N 75.8566°W /36.4683; -75.8566 |
| Area | 8,316 acres (33.65 km2) |
| Established | 1984 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Currituck National Wildlife Refuge |
Currituck National Wildlife Refuge (/ˈkʊrɪtʌk/),[1] located on the northern end ofNorth Carolina'sOuter Banks, was established in 1984 to preserve and protect the coastalbarrier island ecosystem. Refuge lands are managed to provide wintering habitat forwaterfowl and to protectendangered species such aspiping plover,sea turtles, andseabeach amaranth.
Habitat types common to most barrier islands are found on the refuge. Moving westward from theAtlantic Ocean toCurrituck Sound, these habitats include sandy beaches, grassy dunes,interdunal wetlands (flats), maritime forests and shrub thickets. Currituck Sound's shoreline is made up ofbrackish water marshes and occasionally,mudflats that have been exposed by wind tides. A few forested islands also exist on the refuge.Monkey Island, a noted birdrookery, provides nesting habitat to several species of wading birds. It is also currently the most northerly known native habitat of theSabal minorpalm.[2][3] In addition toSabal palms, vegetation within these diverse habitat types include several varieties of beachgrasses,live oak,loblolly pine,wax myrtle,cattails,sedges andrushes, black needlerush (Juncusroemerianus) and giant cordgrass (Spartinacynosuroides).
Various types ofwading birds,shorebirds, waterfowl, raptors, mammals (including feralhorses), reptiles, and amphibians common to the eastern United States, are found on the refuge. The endangeredpiping plover andloggerhead sea turtle sometimes nest on refuge beaches and dunes.
The refuge has a surface area of 8,316 acres (33.65 km2).[4]
According to theTrewartha climate classification system, Currituck National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina has ahumid subtropical climate with hot and humid summers, cool winters and year-around precipitation (Cfak). Cfak climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature > 32.0 °F (> 0.0 °C), at least eight months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (≥ 10.0 °C), at least one month with an average mean temperature ≥ 71.6 °F (≥ 22.0 °C) and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months in Currituck National Wildlife Refuge, a cooling afternoonsea breeze is present on most days, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur withheat index values ≥ 100 °F (≥ 38 °C). Currituck National Wildlife Refuge is prone to hurricane strikes, particularly during theAtlantic hurricane season which extends from June 1 through November 30, sharply peaking from late August through September. During the winter months, episodes of cold and wind can occur withwind chill values < 10 °F (< -12 °C). Theplant hardiness zone in Currituck National Wildlife Refuge is 8a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 14.2 °F (-9.9 °C).[5] The average seasonal (Dec-Mar) snowfall total is < 2 inches (< 5 cm), and the average annual peak innor'easter activity is in February.
| Climate data for Currituck National Wildlife Refuge, NC (1981-2010 Averages) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 49.3 (9.6) | 50.8 (10.4) | 56.7 (13.7) | 65.7 (18.7) | 73.0 (22.8) | 81.1 (27.3) | 84.7 (29.3) | 83.4 (28.6) | 78.4 (25.8) | 70.2 (21.2) | 61.4 (16.3) | 52.7 (11.5) | 67.4 (19.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 42.2 (5.7) | 43.8 (6.6) | 49.4 (9.7) | 58.1 (14.5) | 66.1 (18.9) | 74.8 (23.8) | 79.0 (26.1) | 77.9 (25.5) | 73.1 (22.8) | 63.6 (17.6) | 54.3 (12.4) | 45.8 (7.7) | 60.8 (16.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 35.1 (1.7) | 36.8 (2.7) | 41.9 (5.5) | 50.5 (10.3) | 59.2 (15.1) | 68.5 (20.3) | 73.3 (22.9) | 72.5 (22.5) | 67.8 (19.9) | 57.0 (13.9) | 47.2 (8.4) | 38.9 (3.8) | 54.1 (12.3) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.62 (92) | 3.08 (78) | 3.72 (94) | 3.25 (83) | 3.46 (88) | 4.04 (103) | 4.51 (115) | 5.26 (134) | 4.49 (114) | 3.50 (89) | 3.24 (82) | 3.30 (84) | 45.47 (1,155) |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 70.0 | 70.1 | 67.3 | 67.3 | 70.7 | 74.4 | 75.8 | 75.4 | 74.2 | 71.7 | 72.9 | 72.0 | 71.8 |
| Averagedew point °F (°C) | 33.1 (0.6) | 34.7 (1.5) | 39.0 (3.9) | 47.3 (8.5) | 56.3 (13.5) | 66.1 (18.9) | 70.7 (21.5) | 69.5 (20.8) | 64.4 (18.0) | 54.3 (12.4) | 45.8 (7.7) | 37.3 (2.9) | 51.6 (10.9) |
| Source: PRISM[6] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Duck, NC Ocean Water Temperature (21 S Currituck National Wildlife Refuge) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 45 (7) | 44 (7) | 46 (8) | 59 (15) | 67 (19) | 74 (23) | 71 (22) | 74 (23) | 75 (24) | 69 (21) | 59 (15) | 52 (11) | 61 (16) |
| Source: NOAA[7] | |||||||||||||
According to theA. W. Kuchler U.S.potential natural vegetation types, Currituck National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina would have a dominant vegetation type of NorthernCordgrass (73) with a dominant vegetation form ofCoastalPrairie (20).[8]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service.
| Preceded by | Beaches of The Outer Banks | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
