Managing Wetlands

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. Management techniques used in a particular wetland depend on one's objectives and the amount of water control that is available. If water control is possible, you can provide a great deal of habitat through water manipulations. If water control is not possible certain practices can still improve the wetland to meet your desired objective. Listed here are some important management techniques that can be used to enhance wetland habitat.

Chart of Wetland Management and Benefits

Wetland Habitat Types

Water Control Needed

Draw-Down Dates

Dates of Reflood

Typical Important Native Plants

Typical Food Plants That Can be Planted

Animal Life Most Benefited

Some Added Benefits

Flooded Timber
Flood while dormant only

Drain 100% and vary reflooding depths annually

January 1 to March 15 vary annually

October 15 to December 1 vary annually

Pin oak; pecan;willow oak, overcup oak, cherrybark oak, ragweed; smartweeds, spanish needles

Japanese millet, pin oak and pecan seedlings, maples, cottonwoods, bottomland timber with understory shrubs

Mallard, beaver, wood duck, woodcock, mink, squirrel, raccoon, herons

Substantial waterfowl and raccoon hunting, furbearer harvest, birdwatching, nut harvest, timber harvest

Seasonally Flooded Croplands

Drain 100% and reflood

In time for spring farming

Start by October 15 or after crop harvest

Pigweed, ragweed, wild millet, foxtail, smartweeds, panic grass, crabgrasses, rice grasses, spanish needles, buckwheat

Corn, grain sorghum, Japanese millet

Migrant waterfowl, songbirds, shorebirds, jack snipe, rails

Substantial waterfowl hunting, snipe hunting, rail hunting, control of crop pests and weeds

Marsh Areas
Maximum Diversity of Wildlife and Wetland Communities

Mud flats: up to 100% drawdown

Emergent Marsh: 50% drawdown of total area

May 1 to July 1

September 1 through November 15

Mud Flats: Wild Millets; yellow nutgrass, smartweeds, rice cutgrass, button bush

Emergents: Arrowhead, smartweeds, willows, bulrush, lotus, cattails

Submergents: Coontail pondweeds

Japanese Millet, transplant native marsh plants

Marsh songbirds, frogs, turtles, raccoon, muskrats, waterfowl, mink, herons, egrets, fish, aquatic insects, shorebirds

Furbearer harvest, moderate waterfowl hunting, moderate fishing, cattle water.

Small Lakes and Farm Ponds
Narrow band, edge management

Lower water to expose edge as practical

Early June

Fall rains to refill

Cattails, willows, lotus, sedges, pondweeds, shrubs, bulrushes, smartweeds, wild millet

Japanese millet, transplant native marsh plants

Shorebirds, frogs, fish life, muskrats, upland and marsh songbirds, deer, waterfowl

Fishing, waterfowl hunting, furbearer harvest, swimming , cattle water, irrigation, water supply

Deep Waters
Shorelines of city reservoirs, larger lakes, strip pits, river banks

No water control

Willows, maples, cottonwoods, bottomland timber with understory shrubs

Millets (mud flats), upland grain food plots

Beaver, muskrats, waterfowl, shorebirds

Fishing, swimming, waterfowl hunting, picnicking, water supply, water sports

Chart of Wetland Management and Benefits
Wetland Habitat Types	Water Control Needed	Draw-Down Dates	Dates of Reflood	Typical Important Native Plants	Typical Food Plants That Can be Planted	Animal Life Most Benefited	Some Added Benefits
Flooded Timber Flood while dormant only	Drain 100% and vary reflooding depths annually	January 1 to March 15 vary annually	October 15 to December 1 vary annually	Pin oak; pecan;willow oak, overcup oak, cherrybark oak, ragweed; smartweeds, spanish needles	Japanese millet, pin oak and pecan seedlings, maples, cottonwoods, bottomland timber with understory shrubs	Mallard, beaver, wood duck, woodcock, mink, squirrel, raccoon, herons	Substantial waterfowl and raccoon hunting, furbearer harvest, birdwatching, nut harvest, timber harvest
Seasonally Flooded Croplands	Drain 100% and reflood	In time for spring farming	Start by October 15 or after crop harvest	Pigweed, ragweed, wild millet, foxtail, smartweeds, panic grass, crabgrasses, rice grasses, spanish needles, buckwheat	Corn, grain sorghum, Japanese millet	Migrant waterfowl, songbirds, shorebirds, jack snipe, rails	Substantial waterfowl hunting, snipe hunting, rail hunting, control of crop pests and weeds
Marsh Areas Maximum Diversity of Wildlife and Wetland Communities	Mud flats: up to 100% drawdown Emergent Marsh: 50% drawdown of total area	May 1 to July 1	September 1 through November 15	Mud Flats: Wild Millets; yellow nutgrass, smartweeds, rice cutgrass, button bush Emergents: Arrowhead, smartweeds, willows, bulrush, lotus, cattails Submergents: Coontail pondweeds	Japanese Millet, transplant native marsh plants	Marsh songbirds, frogs, turtles, raccoon, muskrats, waterfowl, mink, herons, egrets, fish, aquatic insects, shorebirds	Furbearer harvest, moderate waterfowl hunting, moderate fishing, cattle water.
Small Lakes and Farm Ponds Narrow band, edge management	Lower water to expose edge as practical	Early June	Fall rains to refill	Cattails, willows, lotus, sedges, pondweeds, shrubs, bulrushes, smartweeds, wild millet	Japanese millet, transplant native marsh plants	Shorebirds, frogs, fish life, muskrats, upland and marsh songbirds, deer, waterfowl	Fishing, waterfowl hunting, furbearer harvest, swimming , cattle water, irrigation, water supply
Deep Waters Shorelines of city reservoirs, larger lakes, strip pits, river banks	No water control	a	a	Willows, maples, cottonwoods, bottomland timber with understory shrubs	Millets (mud flats), upland grain food plots	Beaver, muskrats, waterfowl, shorebirds	Fishing, swimming, waterfowl hunting, picnicking, water supply, water sports