Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
Written on: December 10th, 2024 in Education and Outreach
By Alison Stouffer, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program
The seasons are changing and while I wish we could stay in the warmth of the Southwest a little longer, our road trip will be taking us up north to the Midwest United States. For those of you joining us for the first time, we are slowly making our way across the country as we explore a new wetland in each state of the US. If you are feeling like you missed out, you can read up on the first and second excursions on our blog.
Falling between the Rocky and Appalachian Mountain ranges, this region of the country is characterized by low, flat, and rolling prairies. With wetlands covering over 50% of the region1, these states are known for the Great Lakes and their abundance of prairie potholes. Prairie potholes are non-tidal, freshwater, depressional wetlands created from historic glaciers that now provide essential habitat for migratory waterfowl2. We will explore these, and more, as we embark on our journey through the Midwest.
Kansas
Our first stop of the Midwest road trip takes us to central Kansas where we will be visiting the 41,000 acre wetland complex of Cheyenne Bottoms. Designated as a Wetland of International Importance, Cheyenne Bottoms is the largest freshwater marsh and inland wetland in the US! This wetland not only provides the public (us) with a great road trip stop but is also an important stopover for migratory birds along the Central Flyway.
Nebraska
A day’s drive north and we come to Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. At first glance, our destination seems to be dominated by prairie grasslands; however, the Niobrara River feeds a handful of wetland habitats. Within the river floodplain, you will find riparian areas, oxbow ponds, ephemeral streams, seeps, and springs. Due to the flat terrain, the river is often changing directions and meandering throughout the plains creating an ever-changing environment of wetland habitat.
South Dakota
Continuing north, we will be stopping next in South Dakota. Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge encompasses an 11,450-acre prairie pothole lake, designated as a Wetland of International Importance. Managed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service, this refuge offers visitors a variety of activities including, hunting, wildlife viewing, birding, and hiking. If we are lucky, we may even see refuge scientists conducting vegetation and wildlife surveys to monitor wetland health!
North Dakota
Continuing our journey through the heart of the prairie pothole region, we will be visiting Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge for our North Dakota wetland. This refuge is recognized for its importance to the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Tribe. Providing a bountiful location for native people to hunt and hold gatherings, the refuge was named after the Lake Traverse Reservation’s first leader TiWakan, which means “Sacred Lodge”.
Minnesota
At the meeting point of coniferous forest, deciduous forest, and grassland (prairie) lies Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, a unique wetland point-of-interest at the convergence of three biomes (a rare occurrence). Each biome is the result of differences in moisture regime and temperature ranges. As such, different wetland habitats can occur within these biomes. For example, white cedar swamps and sphagnum tamarack bogs can be found in coniferous forests and wet meadows can be found in the grasslands at Cedar Creek.
Wisconsin
I hope you aren’t lactose intolerant because the next stop on our wetland road trip brings us to Wisconsin, the cheese state! Following in the footsteps of our Kansas and South Dakota points-of-interest, Horicon Marsh Wildlife Area and National Wildlife Refuge is recognized as a Wetland of International Importance and is one of the largest inland, freshwater marshes in the US at 33,000 acres. Like many other wetlands in the prairie pothole region, Horicon Marsh was created thousands of years ago by glacial deposits. Visitors can enjoy over 5 miles of hiking trails and/or six miles of paddling trails in and around the marsh habitat.
Iowa
For those looking for a more hands-on wetland education, our next wetland stop brings us to the Driftless Area Wetland Centre in northeast Iowa. This nature center connects people with nature and provides ample environmental programing including ADA accessible trails to prairie wetlands, guided wetland exploration with dip nets, and a variety of displays. Historically, this location was a booming rail yard turned industry dumping ground, which led to its classification as a brownfield site. Presently, the Driftless Area Wetland Centre showcases the successful restoration of a contaminant-laden railroad brownfield site to native wetlands.
Missouri
As we continue our loop around the Midwest, we come to Marmaton River Bottom Prairie Wetland Preserve in Missouri. The Preserve exists as the largest remaining tract of wet prairie in Missouri that is unplowed, providing the area with flood mitigation and erosion prevention. To help protect the land, The Nature Conservancy periodically implements prescribed burns to bolster the growth of native vegetation and prevent invasive species from taking over.
Illinois
Turning to the north again—and continuing the trend of visiting glacier-formed wetlands—we will be visiting Cranberry Slough Nature Preserve in Illinois. This 372-acre preserve was dedicated in 1965 as the 5th Illinois Nature Preserve for its unique peat bog ecosystem. Part of protecting Cranberry Slough includes the removal of invasive brush by means of prescribed fires and mowing, which allows native vegetation to move back in. These efforts have been highly successful.
Indiana
Our next stop is a particularly exciting one. Why? Because (insert Bon Jovi singing “Livin’ On a Prayer”) WE’RE HALFWAY THERE! That’s right folks, we have made it to our 25th wetland point-of-interest, Indiana Dunes National Park. Indiana Dunes encompasses 15,000-acres of a range of habitats along and inland from the coast of Lake Michigan. A wetland type of particular note is the interdunal, freshwater marshes. As glaciers from the last Ice Age slowly melted away, they left behind successive lake shorelines and dune structures, forming these marshes (also known as wet swales) within the depressions.
Michigan
From Lake Michigan in Indiana to the state of Michigan, we will be stopping next at Humbug Marsh. Situated along the Detroit River, Humbug Marsh stands as the last mile of natural coastline along the river, which connects Lake Huron and Lake Erie. The marsh was acquired by Trust for Public Land (TPL) and is now managed by the US Fish & Wildlife Service to protect the remaining wetlands from industrialization and development, which surrounds the marsh on either side. This preserve is on the smaller side at 405 acres but is important habitat among a developed landscape.
Ohio
From one river to the next, our final destination on the Midwestern wetlands tour is the Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park. Run by Ohio State University, these created wetlands offer opportunities for outreach, education, and research to students and faculty of the college—and are even open to the public! Wetland habitats within the research park include two experimental wetlands, a created oxbow wetland, naturally occurring bottomland hardwood forest wetlands within the Olentangy River floodplain, and two stormwater retention ponds.
Next Stop: Wetlands of the Southeast
While not every wetland point-of-interest was formed from receding glaciers, it is clear the Midwest is known as the prairie pothole region for good reason! Even so, the wetlands we visited during this installment of our cross-country road trip all had something unique to offer. I am excited to bring you along next time to see what’s in store as we continue our journey to the wetlands of the Southeast. In the meantime, take a break from the road tripping to enjoy the holidays. See you soon!
Delaware's Governor
State Agencies
Elected Officials
General Assembly
Delaware Courts
State Employees
Cities & Towns
Delaware State Code
State Regulations
Business First Steps
Phone Directory
Locations Directory
Public Meetings
Voting & Elections
Transparency
Delaware Marketplace
Tax Center
Personal Income Tax
Privacy Policy
Weather & Travel
Contact Us
Corporations
Franchise Tax
Gross Receipts Tax
Withholding Tax
Delaware Topics
Help Center
Mobile Apps
E-mail / Text Alerts
Social Media
Built by the Government Information Center
©MMXVIII Delaware.gov
