MAINTAINING HEALTHY WETLANDS FOR WILDLIFE AND FUTURE GENERATIONS

Long-Term Care and Community Impact

Wisconsin’s wetlands are some of the most important habitats in the state. They provide nesting cover for waterfowl, feeding areas for pollinators, shelter for amphibians, natural water filtration, flood protection, and year-round benefits for countless wildlife species. Healthy wetlands are also a major part of Wisconsin’s outdoor heritage, supporting hunters, birdwatchers, landowners, conservation groups, and families who care about the future of wildlife habitat.

In the first two articles of this series, we looked at how to identify common wetland invasive species and how landowners can begin managing them. But wetland care does not stop after invasive plants are removed. In many ways, that is only the beginning.

Maintaining healthy wetlands takes year-round attention, seasonal monitoring, native plant restoration, and community involvement. A wetland can recover and improve over time, but it needs consistent stewardship to remain strong, diverse, and valuable for wildlife.

Wetland Care Goes Beyond Removal

Removing invasive plants is an important step, but it is not the final goal. The true goal is to restore and maintain a healthy wetland ecosystem.

When invasive plants such as reed canary grass, purple loosestrife, non-native phragmites, narrow-leaf cattail, or garden yellow loosestrife are reduced, the wetland has a chance to recover. Native plants can return, open water areas may improve, and wildlife may begin using the habitat more effectively again.

However, invasive species can return if the site is not monitored. Seeds may remain in the soil. Roots or rhizomes may resprout. New plants may arrive from nearby ditches, roadsides, shorelines, or neighboring properties. This is why follow-up care is so important.

A wetland should be viewed as a long-term habitat project, not a one-time cleanup.

Why Long-Term Stewardship Matters

Healthy wetlands depend on plant diversity. A strong wetland may include sedges, rushes, native grasses, wildflowers, shrubs, cattails, open water, shallow pools, and wet meadow areas. This variety creates different layers of habitat for different species.

Waterfowl may use shallow areas for brood-rearing. Songbirds may nest in native grasses or shrubs. Pollinators depend on flowering plants along wetland edges. Frogs and salamanders need clean water and protective cover. Turtles use wetlands for feeding, nesting nearby, and shelter. Deer, turkeys, pheasants, and other wildlife may also use wetland edges throughout the year.

When wetlands are maintained over time, they provide better food, cover, nesting space, and protection for wildlife. They also help improve water quality by filtering runoff and trapping sediment before it reaches lakes, rivers, and streams.

Long-term care helps make sure today’s habitat work continues to benefit wildlife tomorrow.

Seasonal Wetland Monitoring

One of the best ways to maintain a wetland is to visit it throughout the year. Each season offers a different opportunity to observe changes, identify problems, and plan improvements.

Spring: Watch for Early Growth

Spring is a good time to look for plants that green up earlier than the surrounding native vegetation. Some invasive plants, especially reed canary grass, may begin growing before many native wetland plants.

Walk wetland edges, ditches, field borders, trails, and disturbed areas. Look for new patches of invasive growth, erosion, clogged drainage areas, or changes in water movement. This is also a good time to check last year’s treatment areas for regrowth.

Taking photos in the spring gives you a starting point for the growing season.

Summer: Identify and Take Action

Summer is often the easiest time to identify wetland plants. Purple loosestrife flowers become visible, phragmites stands grow tall, cattails are easier to compare, and wetland edges show which plants are spreading.

This is the time to carefully monitor known problem areas. Look for invasive plants before they go to seed. If treatment is needed, make sure the timing, method, and regulations are appropriate for the site.

Summer is also a good time to observe wildlife use. Watch for waterfowl broods, pollinators, songbirds, frogs, turtles, and other wildlife. These observations help show whether the wetland is providing useful habitat.

Fall: Evaluate Results

Fall is a good season to review what worked and what needs improvement. Look at treated areas and compare them with earlier photos. Did invasive plants return? Are native plants filling in? Are there new patches along edges or access areas?

Fall is also a good time to update maps, mark problem spots, collect notes, and plan future management. If native seeding or planting is needed, fall planning gives landowners time to prepare for the next season.

Winter: Plan Ahead

Winter may seem quiet, but it is an important planning season. Review photos, maps, and notes from the year. Research management options. Contact conservation partners if help is needed. Order native seed or plan future restoration work.

Winter is also a good time to look at the wetland from a broader view. Think about water

levels, surrounding land use, access points, food plot edges, nesting cover, and nearby habitat. Wetlands do not stand alone. They are part of a larger landscape.

Restoring Native Plants

After invasive species are reduced, native vegetation is one of the most important parts of long-term wetland recovery. Native plants help stabilize soil, compete against invasive regrowth, provide food and cover, and support the insects that many birds and wildlife species depend on.

In some wetlands, native plants may return naturally from the existing seed bank. In other areas, landowners may need to help by planting or seeding native species suited to the site.

Good wetland restoration may include native sedges, rushes, grasses, and wildflowers. Wetland edges may benefit from native shrubs or flowering plants that support pollinators and songbirds. The right plant mix depends on soil moisture, sunlight, water levels, and the type of wetland.

Native plant restoration should not be rushed. It may take several growing seasons for plants to establish and fill in. Patience and follow-up are part of the process.

Preventing Reinfestation

A restored wetland still needs protection. Invasive species can return if landowners and volunteers are not careful.

Clean boots, tools, mowers, UTVs, tractors, and trailers after working in areas with invasive plants. Avoid moving mud, seeds, roots, or plant fragments from one site to another. Be cautious when mowing wetland edges or trails after invasive plants have gone to seed.

Watch disturbed areas closely. Invasive plants often appear first where soil has been exposed or vegetation has been weakened. Ditches, culverts, trails, field edges, shorelines, and equipment access points should be checked regularly.

Prevention is one of the most effective and affordable forms of wetland management.

Community Involvement Makes a Difference

Wetland conservation is stronger when people work together. Invasive species do not follow property lines. Seeds and plant fragments can move through water, wind, wildlife, roadsides, and equipment. That means one landowner’s efforts can be helped or harmed by what is happening nearby.

Neighbors, chapters, volunteers, conservation organizations, county staff, and state agencies can all play a role in protecting wetlands. Community involvement can include monitoring, education, habitat workdays, invasive species reporting, native planting projects, youth education, and long-term stewardship.

For Wings Over Wisconsin, this type of work fits directly into the mission of providing habitat for wildlife through conservation. Every wetland protected, every native plant restored, and every volunteer educated helps build a stronger future for Wisconsin wildlife.

Supporting Wildlife Through Healthy Wetlands

Healthy wetlands support life at every level. Native plants support insects. Insects feed birds, fish, frogs, and young wildlife. Open water and shallow pools provide feeding and brood-rearing habitat. Thick native cover protects nesting birds and young animals. Flowering plants support pollinators. Clean water supports the entire system.

When wetlands are maintained properly, wildlife benefits year after year.

Ducks and geese rely on wetlands for nesting, resting, and raising young. Songbirds use wetland edges for cover and food. Amphibians depend on clean water and moist habitat. Pollinators need native flowers throughout the growing season. Even upland wildlife often benefits from wetland edges, especially where wetlands connect with grasslands, food plots, woodlots, and other habitat areas.

Wetland stewardship is not only about plants. It is about protecting the entire habitat system that wildlife depends on.

What Landowners Can Do Each Year

Landowners can make wetland maintenance part of a yearly routine. Walk the property several times each season. Take photos from the same locations. Watch for invasive regrowth. Keep simple records of what was found and what was done. Clean equipment after working in wet areas. Protect native vegetation. Plan follow-up treatment when needed. Restore bare or disturbed areas with native plants.

Small actions repeated every year can lead to major habitat improvements over time.

The most successful wetland projects are the ones that continue after the first round of work is complete.

Teaching the Next Generation

Wetland conservation also provides an opportunity to teach youth and community members about wildlife habitat. Many people see wetlands as only marshes or wet ground, but wetlands are active, living systems full of value.

Youth programs, outdoor education events, volunteer days, and chapter projects can help people understand why wetlands matter. When young people learn to identify native plants, spot invasive species, watch wildlife, and understand habitat needs, they become future conservation leaders.

Protecting wetlands for future generations also means teaching future generations how to protect wetlands.

The Takeaway

Maintaining healthy wetlands requires more than removing invasive plants. It takes year-round stewardship, seasonal monitoring, native plant restoration, prevention, and community involvement.

Healthy wetlands support birds, pollinators, amphibians, waterfowl, native plants, clean water, and Wisconsin’s outdoor heritage. By learning what to look for, taking action early, and staying involved over time, landowners and conservation supporters can help protect the places wildlife depends on.

Wetlands cared for today can provide habitat for generations to come.

Together, we can keep Wisconsin wetlands healthy, diverse, and full of life for wildlife, water, and future generations.

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Sources

Control Methods Supports early detection, realistic management goals, and the idea that eradication is most achievable when invasive species are found early. It also explains that large infestations may require control rather than complete removal. (Wisconsin DNR)

Aquatic Plant Management Permit Application Forms Supports the article’s reminder that many aquatic plant control activities may require a DNR permit, especially when managing plants in or near water. (Wisconsin DNR)

Mechanized Aquatic Plant Management Supports information about hand removal, raking, cutting, harvesting, or other mechanical removal methods potentially requiring permits when done in aquatic or riparian areas.  (Wisconsin DNR)

Frequently Asked Questions About Aquatic Herbicide Use in Wisconsin Supports the article’s guidance that herbicide use in or near wetlands and water requires special care and should follow approved products, factsheets, and regulations. (Wisconsin DNR)

Purple Loosestrife Biocontrol — and You Supports the section on purple loosestrife management and explains Wisconsin’s long-running use of biological control insects as a long-term management tool. (Wisconsin DNR)

Non-native Phragmites or Common Reed Supports information about phragmites spreading through root fragments, runners, and rhizomes, and why cutting or disturbance alone may not provide lasting control. (Wisconsin DNR)

Invasive Plant Profile: Reed Canary Grass Supports the recommendation to catch reed canary grass before it dominates a wetland and to choose control methods based on stand size and the health of the native plant community. (Wisconsin DNR)

Prioritizing Invasive Plant Control, Part I Useful for the article’s message about prioritizing management work, especially when resources are limited and not every invasive patch can be handled at once. (Wisconsin Wetlands Association.)

Wetland Restoration Permits Supports guidance that larger wetland restoration or management work may require permits and should be planned carefully according to conservation standards. (Wisconsin DNR)

Wetland Invasive Species Monitoring Strategy & Field Methods (Wisconsin DNR)