U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service logo National Wildlife Refuge System Logo Celebrating a Century of Conservation
Banner graphic displaying the Fish & Wildlife Service logo, the National Wildlife Refuge System logo and the Celebrating a Century of Conservation tagline
Madison
Wetland Management District		 An aerial view of the wetlands in McCook County show the large number of small prairie potholes that are typical of the Madison Wetland Management District.
23520 SD Hwy 19
Madison, SD   57042
E-mail: madisonwetlands@fws.gov
Phone Number: 605-256-2974
Visit the Refuge's Web Site:
http://madisonwetlands.fws.gov 		The wetlands and lakes in Madison Wetland Management District mark the western edge of the tallgrass prairie, the most threatened ecosystem in North America.
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  History
Continued . . .

It consists of nine east-central South Dakota counties, and is located in the southern portion of the Prairie Pothole Region, an area rich in natural wetland basins that were created by glaciers thousands of years ago.

Such notables as the early pioneer artist Harvey Dunn and author Laura Ingals Wilder of "Little House on the Prairie" are from this area. Wilder's book, On the Shores of Silver Lake, was written about her childhood memories of life next to a beautiful prairie wetland that still attracts many visitors each year.

Intensive farming, wetland drainage, and increasing development are the most serious threats to this unique prairie wetland landscape.

 
 
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