Prairie Potholes "Ooo yuck!" you cry as the goo from the bottom oozes up between your toes. A sulphury smell reaches your nose. A winged creature cries out in alarm and flaps away. Something green and slimy "plunks" into the water and dives into the tangled plants near your feet. Are you in danger? No. You have just entered the Wetland Zone! Lucky you! You've found a fascinating, beautiful, and useful "prairie pothole," one of the many types of wetlands found across the United States and Canada. the winged creature was a mallard duck whose afternoon siesta you disturbed. the "plunk" was from a frog. The smell was from decaying plants that create the soil oozing up between your toes. Wetlands--the word defines itself. It's land that has water in and on it. it's a wet spot, a bog, a marsh, a swamp, a river, a slough (pronounced slew), an oxbow, a pothole. It's a place where you can get your feet wet! We used to have many of them in the upper Midwest. But, since the mid-1800's, we've been filling them and draining them at a rapid rate to gain cropland, and to make way for towns, cities, industries, and roads. In fact, dependong on the state or province that you're in, we've lost from 60 to 98 percent of all the wetlands that were here in1850. The trade-off, of course, is a highly productive agricultural system, nice towns and cities, and industries that make goods and provide important services. But to many people these benefits do not outweigh the cost of losing wetlands. Wetlands are an important natural resource. they are just about the most productive ecosystem on Earth. Most wetlands in this region were formed as glaciers melted some 10,000 years ago. As the ice withdrew, it left behind thousands of depressions in the ground. Filled with water, they became prairie potholes. While there are other kinds of wetlands in this region, we've lost more prairie potholes than any other type. they serve many important purposes. What good is a prairie pothole wetland? Pothole wetlands are important water storage areas, especially for the heavy rains of spring. They release their water slowly, and help prevent flooding of streams and river valleys.   Pothole wetlands trap sediment that may erode from upland areas. This prevents silt from clogging up the streams and filling in the lakes. Pothole wetlands trap chemicals that are carried on the silt, preventing them from polluting rivers, streams, and groundwater.   Pothole wetlands filter out nutrients that run off upland areas. wetland plants use up many of these nutrients, keeping them out of streams and rivers where they would over-enrich the waters.   Pothole wetlands serve as natural sponges, holding excess water and increasing soil moisture. In some areas, wetlands recharge groundwater systems that feed water into people's wells.   Pothole wetlands provide cover, food, and water for hundreds of species of wildlife year-round. These include insects, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals--and YOU!   Pothole wetlands provide recreation for thousands of people each year. Wildlife watchers, photographers, hunters, trappers and many others use wetlands. So, as we've lost wetlands, we've lost a lot. But many things are being done to save the wetlands that are left. The Canadian provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and the states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa have formed partnerships called "Joint Venture." These jont ventures are part of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. It's made up of government agencies, private conservation groups, and concerned individuals all working hard to educate people about the value and functions of wetland, and protect and restore them. Learn more about prairie pothole inhabitants! Get into the Wetland Zone!