Nine wildlife refuges at Lake Between the Lakes National Recreation Area have closed until next year, officials said.

Signs or buoys mark areas closed to activities that include hunting, fishing and boating. The areas will reopen on March 15, the U.S. Forest Service said Monday in a statement.

The closures provide undisturbed resting and feeding areas for bald eagles, waterfowl and shorebirds. Land Between the Lakes is a 170,000 acre (68,797 hectares) recreation area in western Kentucky and Tennessee.

The closures include portions of Duncan Bay, Smith Bay and Rushing Bay on Kentucky Lake, as well as Fulton Bay and Honker Bay on Lake Barkley. Other areas with closures or restrictions include Energy Lake, Bards Lake, Long Creek Refuge, Hematite Lake and Honker Lake.