Watercress Darter NWR, near Bessemer, Jefferson County, Alabama, was established by the Service in 1980 to provide protection for the endangered watercress darter. Although the Refuge is only about 23 acres of ponds, mixed pine-hardwood forest, and a residence, it contains Thomas Spring, the original quarter acre pond where the species was described. A second pond was constructed on the Refuge in 1983 to provide additional darter habitat. The Refuge is unstaffed and administered by Wheeler NWR.
The watercress darter is a small, very colorful fish measuring up to 2.5 inches in length. The fish is currently found in only four sites in the upper Black Warrior River drainage near Birmingham, Alabama. They are found only at mid-depths in dense accumulations of aquatic vegetation including watercress, in springs and spring runs. Green sunfish, bluegills, and sculpins are known to prey on watercress darters. The darters feed on snails, crustaceans, and insect larvae that inhabit springs and spring runs.
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