The Rainwater Basin is located within both the tall and mixed grass ecosystems. Flora and fauna that historically existed in the area were the product of natural ecological processes: wildfire, grazing, drought, and flooding. Agricultural development in the early 1900's used a variety of techniques to convert large, flat wetlands into crop production. Conversion techniques included digging drainage ditches, building dikes or berms around wetlands, digging deep pits to concentrate the water, and diverting runoff down road ditches to pits or streams.

Restoration of the hydrology involves restoring drained wetlands and natural runoff, reducing siltation and erosion, and re-establishing native vegetation. The Service's objective goes beyond refuge lands. It includes providing assistance to private landowners who wish to restore or enhance their lands for the benefit of wildlife and natural resources. This assistance is provided through the Partners For Fish and Wildlife Program. 

From the late 1960's to the mid 1990's, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service focused its activity on acquiring wetlands with restoration being limited to planting five species of native grasses (big bluestem, Indiangrass, little bluestem, sideoats grama, and switchgrass) on the farmed uplands. Now high diversity seed mix is used.