Wetlands Management
Wetlands are the most productive ecosystems in the world. Their value to countless species of wildlife is surpassed by no other type of habitat. They provide many important benefits to us and our environment, and they result in endless hours of recreational enjoyment. Learn how to manage your wetlands for wildlife, water quality, recreation and profit.
Wetlands also are an integral part of our history. They served as the North Carolina base from which the Swamp Fox of Revolutionary War fame harassed British redcoats. A few years later, the men of Jean Lafitte emerged from the bayous of Louisiana to help Andy Jackson at the battle of New Orleans. And it was the wetland home of the beaver that opened the West to fur-trapping mountain men such as Jim Bridger, Jedediah Smith and Kit Carson.
Wetlands have been drained and destroyed in alarming numbers over the last 50 years. The most recent surveys indicate that over half of the wetlands in the United States have been lost as a result of drainage and filling, and many of our remaining wetlands have deteriorated in quality because of siltation, pollution and alterations. Only within the last few years has there been increased understanding of the values of this natural resource. Wetland protection and restoration is certainly one of conservation's biggest challenges today.
Many areas in Missouri could potentially be developed into productive wetland communities. If the site is suitable, with minimal construction a landowner can own a piece of this valuable but disappearing habitat without affecting existing farm operations.
The wetlands of Missouri provide habitat for waterfowl and many other groups of birds. Among these are the shorebirds, represented in Missouri by more than 40 migrant species.
The diversity of wildlife species in Missouri's freshwater marshes is unmatched by any other type of habitat in the state. Management of these marshes can be challenging and rewarding.
The Department manages 15 public wetlands. These areas provide critical habitat for migratory and resident wildlife, as well as creating excellent opportunities for a host of outdoor recreation activities.
There are several kinds of mammals that thrive in wetlands. The two that have the most influence on wetland plants and, hence, on the entire ecosystem are the muskrat and beaver.
Few areas in Missouri are as important to wildlife as our freshwater marshes. Management of these wetlands is as varied as the wetlands themselves.
The federal government is responsible for protecting the nation's wetlands. That authority comes from two laws.
Learn what wetlands are and how critical they are to the multitude of diverse populations of plants and animals that need wetlands to survive.
As knowledge of wetlands increases, people are recognizing that, left in their natural state, wetlands are areas of important public value.
Whether we call them swamps, sloughs, marshes, or potholes, wetlands are areas where soils normally are saturated or covered with water, at least periodically.
