Managing Water for Wildlife

Managing Water for Wildlife. Moist Soil Management. , Nearly three thousand acres of former rice fields are managed to benefit wildlife on Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge provides 18 impoundments (reservoirs) with nearly 50 miles of earthen dikes and a variety of trunks (floodgates). Similar to the way water was controlled in plantation fields, freshwater from the Little Black River is raised and lowered in these impoundments to produce diverse habitats. The managed wetlands benefit fish, shorebirds, wading birds, and waterfowl – including nearly 25,000 ducks annually., Aquatic management keeps wetlands flooded for several years to encourage plants with high food value and cover for wildlife. Aquatic impoundments also provide breeding habitat for birds, amphibians and fish. These animals, in turn are prey for alligators, river otter, ospreys, and bald eagles., Moist soil management produces shallow water and mudflat habitats. Water is drained during the growing season to promote plants preferred by wintering waterfowl, breeding birds, and other wildlife. Countless invertebrates that thrive within decaying plant litter provide valuable sources of protein for migrating shorebirds and ducks.