Management and Conservation

Our primary management goal is to acquire, protect, and maintain high‑quality habitat suitable for nesting migratory birds, resident wildlife, and native plant communities. Staff at the Wetland Management District use a variety of techniques to enhance and sustain these natural resources.

Prescribed Fire

Prescribed fire is used to limit the expansion of woody vegetation, which has increased over time due to fire suppression. Burning can also help control the spread of non‑native plant species. These carefully controlled burns benefit wildlife and their habitat by stimulating prairie plant growth, improving plant diversity, and boosting soil nutrient availability.

Livestock Grazing

Bison once roamed the prairie, shaping grassland ecosystems through intensive, short‑duration grazing. Their decline led to significant shifts in plant communities and the wildlife that depend on them. To replicate these historic ecological effects, the district now uses rotational livestock grazing. Managed cattle grazing helps reduce exotic cool‑season, sod‑forming grasses such as smooth brome and Kentucky bluegrass, while promoting native prairie vegetation and supporting the diverse species that rely on these habitats.

Invasive Species Control

Controlling noxious weeds is one of the district’s most challenging and costly management tasks. Some weeds require more intensive treatment than fire or grazing alone. Leafy spurge is among the most persistent invasive species in the area. Current control methods include the release of biological control agents such as spurge‑feeding flea beetles, targeted herbicide applications, and mowing at strategic times, such as before plants produce seeds.