Just Add Water: Restoring a Wetland

Just Add Water: Restoring a Wetland. . , Permitting this depression to once again hold water allowed wetland plants and animal species to return. In 1991, drainage tiles were cracked and removed. The wetland once again held water., Why Restore? , Wildlife Habitat: An estimated 900 North American species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish are dependent on wetlands for food, cover, habitat, or spawning grounds., Flood Control: Wetlands store excess water and release it slowly, protecting downstream areas., Pollution Filter: Wetland plants filter pollutants and sediment. Water leaving a wetland may be cleaner than the water that entered it., Dredging Operation , This region is known for its lakes and wetlands. Many wetlands were drained beginning in the mid-1800s to convert them to productive farm land., Wetlands once covered nearly 6 million acres in Indiana. Laying drainage tiles removed water from the wetlands, making them tillable. By 1882, Indiana farmers had installed over 30,000 miles of clay drainage tiles., Map of Indiana - 1996 percentage: Acres of wetlands and deepwater habitat , 10% - 15% dark blue , 6% - 9.9% medium blue , 3% - 5.9% light blue , 0% - 2.9% white , Map based on Liu, 1996, [Captions:] , Blandings Turtle - One animal now found in the wetland is the Blanding's turtle, a State Endangered species, Bländing's turtles can be seen sunning themselves on logs. Look for a turtle in the summer months with a long neck and bright yellow throat., Dead Snags - When the water returned, it saturated the soil. The absence of oxygen around the roots killed the trees. These dead snags provide nesting sites for woodpeckers and swallows. Can you find a nest hole in the photo and in the wetland?