Home > Iowa Academy of Science > Journals & Newsletters > Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science > Volume 88 (1981) > Number 1
Document Type
Research
Keywords
Wetlands, marshes, rivers, reservoirs, drainage, wetland inventory
Abstract
The Wisconsin glacier created a 7.6 million acre prairie-marsh-pothole complex in north-central and northwest Iowa. Prairie marshes, valuable for wildlife habitat and water retention, have been relentlessly drained. In 1938, only about 50,000 acres of prairie marshland remained and in 1980 this had been reduced to 26,470 acres of natural marsh. Meandering rivers have been straightened, eliminating miles of river course. Only 1,637 miles are officially designated as meandered streams. While natural marshes and unchannelized streams are threatened aquatic habitats, other wetlands have actually increased. Artificial reservoirs provide 47,562 water acres and 47,700 farm ponds have been constructed. Proper public attitude could increase the acreage of marshland as well as reservoirs. Approximately 5,000 acres of prairie marsh and pothole habitat remains in private ownership. To protect these threatened wetlands, additional money and public support is needed.
Publication Date
March 1981
Journal Title
Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science
Volume
88
Issue
1
First Page
11
Last Page
16
Copyright
©1981 Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Bishop, Richard A.
(1981)
"Iowa's Wetlands,"
Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 88(1), 11-16.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol88/iss1/6