Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge

{{Short description|National Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson County, Alabama}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox protected area

| name = Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge

| iucn_category = IV

| photo = WatercressDarterNWR.gif

| photo_alt =

| photo_caption = Watercress Darter NWR

| map = USA

| relief = 1

| map_caption =

| location = Jefferson County, Alabama, United States

| nearest_city = Bessemer, Alabama

| coordinates = {{coord|33.374647|-86.962892|region:US-AL|display=inline, title}}

| area = {{convert|24.52|acre|ha}}{{cite web | url=https://www.fws.gov/refuges/land/PDF/2015\_Annual_Report_of_LandsDataTables.pdf | title=National Wildlife Refuges - Acres by State and Unit | publisher=US Fish and Wildlife Service | access-date=6 September 2016}}

| established = 1980

| visitation_num = 3,000

| visitation_year = 2005

| governing_body = U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

| website = [http://www.fws.gov/watercressdarter/ Watercress Darter NWR]

}}

Watercress Darter National Wildlife Refuge is a {{convert|25|acre|m2|adj=on}} National Wildlife Refuge located in Jefferson County, Alabama, within the city limits of Bessemer. Watercress Darter NWR consists of a {{convert|.25|acre|m2|adj=on}} pond known as Thomas Spring which is essential to the survival of the endangered watercress darter. A second pond was built on the site in 1983. The facility is unstaffed, but is administered by the Mountain Longleaf National Wildlife Refuge in Anniston, Alabama.