Restored wetland generates a lot of attention

Wetland West of Syracuse along Highway 2 increases awareness of wetland options

Nebraska

When a field that had been planted to soybeans last spring is covered in several inches of water the next spring, it tends to generate a lot of questions--especially if that field is right along busy Highway 2 in southeast Nebraska.

Otoe County farmer Nick Wilhelm learned just how curious people can be when he restored a 37 acre wetland site through the Wetlands Reserve Program.

WRP is a voluntary program available through the Natural Resources Conservation Service. WRP works with private landowners to restore and enhance wetlands on their property. Participating landowners can establish permanent or 30-year conservation easements, or can enter into restoration cost-share agreements where no easement is involved.

Wilhelm had been farming the 37 acres along Wolf Creek just west of Syracuse, Neb., for several years. Sometimes he'd get a good crop, but too often his yields would be low or his crops would flood out completely. When he learned about WRP he decided to apply.

Wilhelm decided to enroll the property into a permanent easement through WRP. Biologist Eric Hopps, along with other members of the NRCS wetland team in Syracuse worked with Wilhelm to restore the 37 acre bean field into a fully functioning wetland.

Hopps explained that NRCS has the responsibility to ensure the acres restored remain fully functioning as a wetland. Wilhelm still owns the land and controls access to the land, but has agreed to keep it as a wetland. This does not mean that Wilhelm cannot use the wetland. He may use his land for hunting or other forms of recreation. He can also request to hay or graze the wetland to help control vegetation. All of these actions will require NRCS approval through a Compatible Use Agreement.

"A Compatible Use Agreement means the landowner checks with NRCS before doing anything to the WRP site. If the action is compatible with keeping the area a high functioning wetland, then NRCS agrees and draws up an agreement," Hopps said.

Hopps, and NRCS engineers Mark Deisley and Jim Kennedy, worked with the Nebraska Game and Parks and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop a wetland restoration plan. The restoration included removing silt from the wetland that had washed in from the surrounding cropland. A berm was built on the south end of the wetland site to keep water from draining into Wolf Creek. A water control structure was also installed to help control the water level in the wetland. According to Hopps, having control of the water level is key to wetland management.

"Wetlands aren't always wet. They go through periods where they can completely dry up. This dry period works to maintain the overall health of the wetland. In restored wetland sites it's important to be able to mimic this wet/dry period cycle," Hopps said.

WRP not only restores the wetland, but it continues to work with the landowner to manage the site. This ensures the wetland continues to provide important wetland-functions like flood control, wildlife habitat, water quality, and - contrary to popular belief - mosquito control.

"Wetlands actually help reduce mosquitoes by providing habitat for the species that feed on mosquitoes and their larvae," Hopps said.

Wilhelm's WRP site began to function like a wetland after the first spring rains fell. The chorus frogs began to sing, shore birds and water birds began using the site. Several folks driving by the wetland on Highway 2 noticed a large flock of pelicans, and some even reported seeing a swan.

"Having this wetland right by Highway 2 has really generated a lot of interest. I've never had so many people ask me about what I'm doing on a piece of property," Wilhelm said.

Not only wetland acres are restored through WRP. The acres surrounding the wetland were seeded to 20 different species of native grass and forbs. Wilhelm knows this will also generate a lot of questions.

"This site will look pretty weedy for awhile, but it's just like a CRP site, it will take a couple years to get established," Wilhelm said.

Despite all of the questions, Wilhelm is happy with the way the project turned out.

"It's been great to see the wildlife use this wetland site so quickly after the restoration was finished. It's also been great knowing that I won't have to replant any of these acres after all of the heavy rains we've received this growing season. It's a win-win," Wilhelm said.

7/14/08
4 Star NE\12-B

Date: 8/8/08

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