Floodwaters have led the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) to shut down portions of the road network at the Dewey W. Wills Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The closures include Hunt Road, south of the Catahoula Lake Diversion Canal, and Muddy Bayou Road, east of the Nolan Bayou Road intersection.
In southern LaSalle and Catahoula parishes, where the Dewey W. Wills WMA is located, increased water levels in nearby river systems, including the Mississippi and Black rivers, are causing backwater flooding. Although Muddy Bayou Road west of the Nolan Bayou and Sandy Bayou Road intersection remains closed, users of these roads can still access them using ATV/UTVs. The LDWF announcement notes that these roadways will be reopened once the water recedes and it becomes safe for regular travel conditions to resume.
Popular for its game species like deer, squirrel, rabbit, raccoon, waterfowl, and woodcock, the Dewey W. Wills WMA spans an area about 20 miles northeast of Alexandria. To enter Dewey W. Wills WMA and any LDWF WMA, visitors must carry a WMA Access Permit or one of the various hunting/fishing licenses, such as a Senior Hunting/Fishing License, Louisiana Sportsman’s Paradise License, or Lifetime Hunting/Fishing License, as mentioned by the LDWF.
