Guadalupe Delta WMA
Phone: (361) 552-6637
Address:
13815 S. Hwy. 35
Port Lavaca, TX 77979
Contact:
Kevin Kriegel
Dates Open:
Portions are open daily for fishing and nonconsumptive use. Contact the Area Manager for hunting or tour dates.
Description
Duck hunting at the Guadalupe Delta WMA
©TPWD 2003/Photo by Earl Nottingham
In the late 70's the Guadalupe delta area was identified by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife as a wetlands area that needed to be preserved to protect the wildlife habitat. Guadalupe Delta WMA consists of four units, Mission Lake Unit (4,447.62 acres), Hynes Bay Unit (1007.72 acres), Guadalupe River Unit (1138 acres) and the San Antonio Unit (818 acres). The Guadalupe Delta WMA units are located in Calhoun, Victoria and Refugio Counties within the delta of the Guadalupe River along the Texas coast between Houston and Corpus Christi. The units of the Guadalupe Delta are freshwater marshes subject to flooding from the Guadalupe River and its adjacent bayous. Riparian areas along the numerous small bayous form "corridor forests" of pecan, black willow, cedar, American elm, hackberry and green ash, and provide excellent forage area for neotropical songbirds. Hundreds of White-faced Ibis seasonally forage in the marshes of the WMA. White-tailed Hawks commonly forage over the WMA during the non-breeding season. Single Peregrine Falcons are observed several times each year foraging over the WMA. Lands in the GDWMA have traditionally provided important habitat for wetland dependent wildlife, especially migratory waterfowl.
Public hunting is permitted for waterfowl and migratory shore birds, alligators and other wetland wildlife.
Regular Permit hunts for waterfowl are generally offered. Check the Public Hunting Lands Map Booklet PDF and the Drawn Hunt Catalog for information on hunting opportunities for the current year.
Habitat Type: Coastal marsh; Deltaic estuary of the Guadalupe River; it is a complex of natural and manmade wetlands and associated adjacent uplands in the vicinity of the delta of the Guadalupe and San Antonio rivers. The volume of freshwater the Guadalupe River discharges, along with the shallowness of adjacent bays, contribute to extremely low salinity in those bay systems as compared to other bay systems in Texas.
Rare/Endangered Species:
State and federal threatened and endangered species that have been recorded on GDWMA are Brown Pelican, Reddish Egret, White-faced Ibis, Wood Stork, Bald Eagle, White-tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, and Whooping Crane. Rare/endangered/threatened species with occurrence record on the refuge include:
Malaclemys terrapin littoralis Texas diamondback terrapin
- There aren't any restroom facilities.
- Bring your own drinking water.
- A Texas Department of Transportation viewing platform on Texas 35 adjacent to the WMA is wheelchair accessible.
- Camping is not permitted, but commercial facilities are available in nearby Tivoli, Port Lavaca and Victoria.
- During hunting season, boats must be hand launched and only electric motors are allowed. Use of airboats within the WMA is prohibited. No trailers are allowd.