Wetland Restoration and Construction

According to Leigh Fredrickson in the Waterfowl Management Handbook

site characteristics must be present for effective moist soil management.
Dependable water source - A dependable water source such as groundwater,
springs, ponds, lakes, or streams must be available. On agricultural and moist
soil areas, water can be impounded where soils have low drainage.
be captured from rainfall, pumped from underground or from a waterway such
as a river or stream, or other means. Flooding should occur gradually for one
or two weeks. Impoundments should be dried and disked or burned at 2 to 3
year intervals to control invasive plants.
Gradient Ideally the land area has a gradient that permits water coverage at
various depths over the majority of the site. The land should be flat enough to
allow shallow flooding. It must also have soils that hold water. Dabbling ducks
require 6 to 18 inches of water depth for feeding, but less than 10 inches is
preferable.
Water control structures - Water levels can be maintained or discharged using
water control

Water Control Structures Used in the Restoration and Creation of Wetlands

Earthen Structures These include dikes, levees, and ditch plugs which
raise the water level above the adjacent land, or prevent flooding.

Levees should be at a 3:1 slope at least 18 inches above the water line.
This will prevent destruction of the levee by wave action and water
saturation. Levees that are prone to flooding require a 6:1 slope.
erosion is of concern, try encouraging native plants using biodegradable
mats and seeds, or install riprap. Riprap is the practice of placing larger
rocks on top of smaller filtering rocks on a bank. Sometimes fencing
material is placed on top to prevent rocks from sliding

Spillways In the event of high rainfall and flooding, a spillway is

needed to relieve water pressure. The spillway should be designed to
handle the peak flow of runoff expected every 10 years over a 24-hour
period. Check your local weather station for this information.
vegetated spillway will work for small impoundments

of a foot or less in height. For large projects, an emergency spillway

(i.e., two spillways) may also be needed.

Trickle Tubes These are generally used in smaller wetland projects to

keep spillways dry and encourage plant growth. Non-perforated tubes
should be of 6 to 8 inches in diameter. The intake should be lower than
the spillway to allow draining excess water. Trickle tubes can be simply
a straight pipe through an embankment, or a pipe that is placed
vertically with a 90 degree connection to another pipe that goes through
an embankment. A 1 foot difference is needed between the intake and
outlet to work effectively.

Drop structures This structure is your primary means for controlling

water levels. There are a variety of designs, but they all use gravity and
changes in elevation to remove water from an impoundment.
water drops down a conduit and flows horizontally to an outlet.
Flashboards or stoplogs have sleeves that can be removed to adjust water

levels. These can be made on site, but some companies (e.g.,

Corporation) manufacture devices that are light weight, comparatively
inexpensive, and easy to adjust water levels. Another type of water
control structure is the swiveling pipe. A swiveling arm is place inside
the drop structure with the water level regulated simply by rotating the
arm. For controlling water levels in beaver ponds, the Clemson beaver
pond leveler can be constructed. Trash guards are recommended on
drop structures to prevent blockage or restrict fish movement.

Turbidity unclear

Subsurface drainage Sometimes simply sealing a gap where water

drains will restore an impoundment or wetland. Installing a drop
structure in this gap will allow controlling the water level.