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Wetlands are areas inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater for most or part of the year. Wetlands include marshes, wet meadows, prairie potholes, ponds, high mountain lakes, spring seeps and fens. They are often found between dry land and water along the edges of streams, rivers, and lakes. Wetlands are a vital link between our land and water resources.
Wetlands are important for many reasons: - Wetlands maintain and improve water quality, including groundwater quality. Wetland plants filter nutrients, and other pollutants from runoff. Thus, they prevent nutrients and pollutants from entering nearby lakes and streams.
| - Wetlands provide storage area for flood waters and thus help reduce flooding. Wetlands also help recharge wells and aquifers. Protection of wetlands is particularly important in areas where people depend on groundwater, wells and springs for drinking water.
| - Wetlands along the banks of streams and rivers can slow water movement and help prevent bank erosion.
| - Wetlands provide recreation for bird watchers and hunters, and provide open space and scenic landscapes.
| - Private property values can also benefit from protection of wetlands, ponds and streams since these areas can increase the value and marketability of adjacent lands.
| - Wetlands provide habitat for fish and wildlife, including bald eagles, bull trout, muskrat, beaver, and mink. Many fish spawn in wetlands connected to streams and rivers, where they find food and cover.
| - Wetlands provide food, water, and shelter for birds, especially during migration and breeding. Migratory and neo-tropical birds that rely on wetlands include geese, herons, egrets, ducks, cranes, yellow-headed blackbirds, and marsh hawks.
| - Wetlands produce great amounts of food for many animal species. Their shallow water and nutrients are ideal for the growth of organisms which form the base of the food web and feed many species of fish, amphibians, shellfish, and insects.
| - Reptiles and amphibians, including western and pacific chorus frogs, northern leopard frogs, spotted frogs, long-toed salamanders and northern alligator lizards, need wetlands for reproduction.
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- During the last Ice Ace, glaciers scoured the mountains of what is today northwest Montana. When the glaciers melted 12,000 years ago, they left behind this broad valley of fertile soil, buried gravel and rocks, and numerous wetlands. Because of these conditions, the groundwater along the Flathead River is very near the surface.
| - The glaciated valleys in the Flathead Watershed are part of the Pacific Flyway, a migratory corridor for waterfowl and numerous other wetland birds.
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Historically, wetlands were often seen as wastelands, wet areas that bred pests and diseases. That trend of thought is changing as we now realize that wetlands provide important services. Montana lost about 25% of its wetland acreage since the 1870s. Wetlands are often drained or filled for agricultural, residential or commercial purposes. Conservation, restoration and monitoring of wetlands in the Flathead Watershed are important non-regulatory approaches to wetland protection.
The Flathead River Watershed supports "...one of the greatest and most diverse concentrations of wetlands in the Rocky Mountains, including peatlands, oxbow ponds, springs and seeps, complexes of pothole ponds, vernal pools and beaver ponds" (Greenlee,
1998. Ecologically Significant Wetlands in the Flathead, Stillwater
and Swan River Valleys. Unpublished Report to the Montana Department
of Environmental Quality. Montana Natural Heritage Program).
There are several oxbow wetlands (also called sloughs) along the main stem of the Flathead River. Oxbow wetlands are crescent-shaped lakes lying alongside a winding river. The oxbow is created over time as erosion and deposits of soils change the river's course.
There are few remaining sloughs in this area, and the river's ability to form new sloughs has been reduced by dams and development. It is important that we protect these beautiful, unique, and irreplaceable wetlands.
To read about specific wetlands and sloughs along the Flathead
River see our Critical Lands Status Report (June 12, 2002). <link>
The Montana Natural Heritage Program (MNHP) identified ecologically significant wetlands in the Flathead, Stillwater, Swan and North Fork river valleys. For a copy of these reports call the MNHP at (406)-444-3009 or visit the Natural Resources Information Services (NRIS) Wetland Clearinghouse web site.
The prairie pothole wetlands in the Mission Valley are among the most important breeding habitats in western Montana for waterfowl and ring-necked pheasant.
The area also provides important hunting opportunities.
Mallard, Redhead, Goldeneye, Merganser and Wigeon are common waterfowl species feeding or nesting in the prairie pothole wetlands. Without the shelter provided by these wetlands, many birds would not be able to migrate.
The beauty of this area is a magnet for population growth. Residential development, tillage and drainage are the major threats to these critical wetlands and surrounding grasslands.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Pheasants Forever and other agencies and private conservation organizations are working with landowners to protect and restore wetlands and nearby uplands around the Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge and the Ninepipe Wildlife Management Area.
The Flathead Lakers are collaborating in a project to support these efforts. To read more about our protection and restoration efforts visit our Critical Lands Project page.
A large proportion of the wetlands in the Flathead Watershed are in the valleys. Most of the lands in the valleys are privately owned. Thus, individual landowners play an important role in protecting these natural treasures. There are many opportunities for citizens, corporations, government agencies and other groups to prevent further loss of wetland habitat and improve the quality of remaining wetlands. - Maintain or restore native vegetation around wetlands. This Buffer Strip helps filter sediments and pollutants from runoff before it enters a stream, river, lake or groundwater.
| - Build on upland areas, away from wetlands.
| - Avoid draining or filling wetlands.
| - Maintain your septic system with annual checks, and pump your tank as needed.
| - Keep pets and livestock out of sensitive wetland habitat.
| - Place a conservation easement on all or portion of your land to protect its wetland and wildlife habitat values for future generations.
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- Stay on trails and avoid low spots and watercourses when cycling, horseback riding, hiking or riding ATVs.
| - Prevent the spread of noxious weeds and exotic aquatic plants by washing vehicles and boats. Do not plant exotic plants, such as purple loosestrife.
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- Encourage your neighbors, developers, and state and local governments to protect the function and value of wetlands in your watershed. Support policies and voluntary stewardship practices to help protect these critical areas.
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As a landowner or resident, you are not on your own in protecting wetlands. You can get technical and financial assistance from a number of agencies and organizations. They can help you assess the health of a stream or wetland on your property and show you how to protect it for future generations. - For a list of some programs available for wetland protection or restoration visit our Programs and Regulations section of this website or contact your local Conservation District.
| - You can also review "A Landowners' Guide to Montana Wetlands." This document provides information on where a landowner can find help to protect or restore a wetland. The guide is electronically available at http://nris.state.mt.us/wis/wetlands/ under publications, or you can get a copy by calling the Montana Watercourse at (406) 994-6671.
| - Landowners can receive assistance with wetland or riparian projects including erosion control, protecting water quality, forest management, fish and wildlife habitat improvement or protection, irrigation systems improvement, revegetation, and resource protection in crop, ranch and forest lands.
| - A qualified conservation agency and/or organization can advise you on the various land management options available to you, including agreements by which a landowner can set management priorities for all or part of a property to conserve the special characteristics of the land.
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Montana wetland information can be found at the Natural Resources Information Services (NRIS) Wetland Clearinghouse. For information on wetland plants see a Field Guide to Montana's Wetland Vascular Plants by Lesica and Husby, published in 2001 by the Montana Wetlands Trust in Helena, Montana. It is available electronically at the (NRIS) Wetland Clearinghouse web site under Publications. For information on assessing the health of a wetland, riparian area or shoreline visit Bitterroot Restoration, Inc. This private consulting company assists landowners with site restoration and management using native plants. For more information on wetlands, visit the Environmental Protection Agency's website. You can learn about Montana's Wetland Conservation Strategy (PDF). This plan was developed by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. The National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) maps for some regions of Montana are available on the website of the National Resource Information Center. These maps are a project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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