The Richland Creek WMA was named for Richland Creek, a tributary to the Trinity River, which flowed through the property prior to the construction of Richland-Chambers reservoir. Richland Creek Wildlife Management Area was created to compensate for habitat losses associated with the construction of Richland-Chambers Reservoir. The Area is owned and managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. T
he mission of RCWMA is to develop and manage populations of indigenous and migratory wildlife species and their habitats and to provide quality consumptive and non-consumptive public-use in a manner that is not detrimental to the resource. Richland Creek Wildlife Management Area is located in an ecotone separating the Post Oak Savannah and Blackland Prairie ecological regions and the Area lies almost entirely within the Trinity River floodplain. The Area is subject to periodic and prolonged flooding. Average annual rainfall is 40 inches. Soils consist primarily of Trinity and Kaufman clays. These bottomland soils are highly productive and support a wide array of bottomland and wetland dependent wildlife and vegetation communities. Vast bottomland hardwood forest communities characterized by cedar elm, sugarberry, and green ash dominate the area. Honey locust, boxelder, and black willow are also common. Pockets of bur oak, shumard oak, overcup oak, water oak, willow oak, and native pecan also occur. The understory is dominated by hawthorn, cat briar, poison ivy, and rattan with shade tolerant grasses and forbs comprising the herbaceous layer. Large non-forested areas also occur and are characterized by diverse herbaceous communities. The vast bottomland hardwood forests serve as nesting and brood rearing habitat for many species of neotropical birds. The Area has numerous marshes and sloughs, which provide habitat for migrating and wintering waterfowl, wading birds and shore birds, as well as diverse aquatic life.
