The Morris Wetland Management District includes 244

waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which in ...

production areas, encompassing over scattered throughout an eight-county area. Like other wetland management districts in the prairie states, the goal of the Morris District is to restore and protect sufficient

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 ...

and

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

habitat to meet the needs of prairie wildlife, particularly breeding waterfowl, as well as provide places for public recreation. The Morris District covers Big Stone, Chippewa,

Lac qui Parle Lac qui Parle is a lake located in western Minnesota, United States, which was widened by the damming of the Minnesota River. The dam was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1939. It was reconstructed in 1996. Lac qui Parle is a F ...

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

, Stevens, Swift, Traverse, and

Yellow Medicine Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In the RG ...

counties in western

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

. The district purchases land from willing sellers, manages scattered waterfowl production areas, and works with private landowners interested in improving their land for wildlife. The district also protects land through purchase of permanent conservation easements from willing landowners to protect wetlands and grasslands throughout the district.

References

District website
National Wildlife Refuges in Minnesota Protected areas of Big Stone County, Minnesota Protected areas of Chippewa County, Minnesota Protected areas of Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota Protected areas of Pope County, Minnesota Protected areas of Stevens County, Minnesota Protected areas of Swift County, Minnesota Protected areas of Traverse County, Minnesota Protected areas of Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota Wetlands of Minnesota Landforms of Big Stone County, Minnesota Landforms of Chippewa County, Minnesota Landforms of Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota Landforms of Pope County, Minnesota Landforms of Stevens County, Minnesota Landforms of Swift County, Minnesota Landforms of Traverse County, Minnesota Landforms of Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota {{Minnesota-protected-area-stub