Wildlife
Thanks to the wide variety of habitats, LBL is home to many different species. While aquatic freshwater mussels (clams) inhabit the adjacent Kentucky and Barkley reservoirs, resident and migratory birds such as eastern bluebirds, green herons, and numerous bald eagles make LBL their home. Other animals often seen include armadillos, whitetail deer, red fox, and the black king snake.
Plants
LBL plays host to many interesting plant species, ranging from the small spring beauty to the mature red oak. Mixed vegetation types include bottomland species such as willow oak, river birch, and buttonbush, and upland species such as sugar maple, white oak, and shagbark hickory. Numerous species of wildflowers can also be found, including American potato-bean, pale-purple coneflower, and Fraser’s yellow lossestrife.
Threatened & Endangered Species
The Endangered Species Act (overseen by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), signed into law in 1973, allowed plants and animals to be listed as threatened or endangered. This includes species that have populations at risk for extinction or are trending towards extinction. Land Between the Lakes is currently home to three: the Gray, Indiana, and Northern Long-eared Bats.
The two major goals of the Endangered Species Act are to:
1. Protect species in need and then pursue their recovery
2. Conserve candidate species and species-at-risk so that listing under the ESA is not necessary
