Photo: Ralph Tiner
Photo: Ralph Tiner
A prairie pothole is a small wetland that can be found in the grasslands of central North America. These areas were formed from glacial activity that carved out a large number of potholes. Snowmelt and rain fill the potholes in the spring and many species of plants such as cattail and bulrushes begin to grow. Mallards, pintails and gadwalls as well as many other species of ducks nest in the pothole marshes.