Madison Wetland Management District is located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...

and includes 129,700 acres (524 km²). 38,500 acres (155 km²) is owned by the U.S. Government while the remaining area is protected through easements in agreement with the state and other entities. The refuge is managed by the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...

. The

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...

s are a part of the

Prairie Pothole Region The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR; french: Région des cuvettes/fondrières des prairies) is an expansive area of the northern Great Plains that contains thousands of shallow wetlands known as potholes. These potholes are the result of glacier ac ...

, well known to be an outstanding natural resource area that is vital for migratory bird species. As the Great plains were being plowed under,

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...

ists groups worked towards ensuring wetlands would be preserved to protect these areas. Now known as Waterfowl Production Areas, preservation of this region helps to ensure a sustainable population of hundreds of migratory bird species and other plant and animal species dependent on this ecosystem. The refuge allows

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

and

hunting Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...

in limited areas and in season.

References

External links

* {{authority control National Wildlife Refuges in South Dakota Protected areas established in 1962 Wetlands of South Dakota Landforms of Lake County, South Dakota Protected areas of Lake County, South Dakota 1962 establishments in South Dakota