Managing Wetlands: Opportunistic Flooding Management Options

Several landowners have developed shallow water impoundments where a guaranteed water source for reflooding is not available. Under this circumstance, management practices may vary from those discussed earlier where reflooding capabilities do exist. The first option to consider is whether to dewater the unit to encourage a vegetative response or to hold the water through the year. One option would be to conduct a drawdown, as discussed in the moist-soil management section, then allow the unit to reflood opportunistically in late summer through fall or even winter. This water would then be held in the unit throughout the next year or two. Under this management plan, moist-soil plant seeds would be available immediately after initial flooding, then invertebrates would be available until the unit is again dewatered in late spring up to two years later.

Another option is to hold water in a unit from three to five years to encourage emergent or aquatic vegetation. This technique will provide a lower number of plant seeds, but will still provide an important wetland habitat type for many wildlife species. In this option, food sources would be mainly invertebrates associated with a more stabilized water agent system would be dewatered every three to five years to allow plant regeneration and encourage nutrient cycling (release of nutrients from organic matter by decomposition, making nutrients available for plant growth). Once the unit is dewatered, disturbing the soil by discing will encourage moist-soil plants to return. After discing, one of the above management options could again be initiated.

A third option is to manage these units in a moist-soil system. Following an annual spring drawdown, the unit might remain dry in the fall, but would often refill sometime in the winter or spring. Fall habitat would sometimes be available, but newly flooded habitat would be available in late winter or early spring in most years. These newly flooded spring areas are important and increasingly rare habitats for many migrating birds.

Whichever management option you select, remember that water will not necessarily be available when you want it. You should plan ahead and make the most of the water when it does become available.

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