Habitat within the area consists of bottomland and upland hardwoods, cleared land, cypress swamps, accredit land, and fallow fields. The Refuge has four permanent water bodies, Old St. Catherine Creek, Gilliard, Alligator, and Butler Lakes. Because of being one of the very few wintering areas that is actually located adjacent to the Mississippi River, the Refuge can be inundated for large periods of time because of the backwater flooding. Major emphasis on this Refuge is placed on Wetland Restoration and enhancement projects designed to protect and enhance waterfowl and other wildlife habitats and populations. Specific projects involve reforestation of bottomland hardwoods and the creation of water management capabilities on bottomland hardwoods, croplands, and moist soil vegetation.
Habitats vary from bottomland hardwoods to agricultural fields.
Emphasis is placed on providing food for wintering waterfowl which utilize the refuge in large numbers. These foods consists of corn, milo, rice, wheat, etc. and moist-soil plants. The refuge has over 70 water management units and has restored over 2,000 acres of marginal ag land to bottomland hardwoods. The refuge is the site of a major COE project which allows the refuge to manage water on 4,000 acres of Swan Lake bed. Shorebird management is a new objective and is incorporated in the management of 240 acres of abandoned fish ponds.