Wetland Reserve Program - New Options for Old Problems

by Bob Culbertson, Area Biologist, NRCS/KDWP

Landowners in Kansas have become part of a nationwide effort to restore agricultural wetlands.  Many of these areas that stay wet for extended periods are farmed wetlands that were partially drained in years past for crop production.  Frequent flooding is also a problem in many sites.  Often, the economics of farming these areas does not work out favorably.  But now there are numerous alternatives, courtesy of the 2002 Farm Bill, that offer landowners a way to return these "hard to farm" areas to a restored natural condition and function as a wetland again.

One such unique and innovative program offers landowners the opportunity to restore wetlands on their property, receive payment for those acres based on the agricultural value of the land and yet retain ownership of the land.  This may sound too good to be true, but the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP), administered and managed by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), does just that.

This program has been available in Kansas since 1995.  Currently there are 135 properties enrolled in WRP covering just over 12,804 acres.  Interest in Kansas has not been overwhelming, but it has been surprising to many since WRP requires the granting of an easement to the United States.  The Natural Resource Conservation Service is the holder and manager of those easements.

The goal of the program is to restore wetland vegetation and hydrology on agricultural land that is too wet to economically farm.  Most of the eligible land for WRP lies in the floodplains of larger rivers and streams, but playa lakes that are farmed in the western portion of Kansas are prime lands also.  Southeast Kansas leads the state in applications and most of the WRP easement sites are located in the Neosho River and Marais Des Cygnes River floodplains.

Restoration is as varied as the Kansas landscape.  In general, the philosophy in Kansas has been to maximize water and make the site as wet as feasible.  Low-level dikes are often used to impound water at depths of a few inches to 18 inches.  Some depths will exceed 2 foot, but shallow water is king on WRP.  Another technique is the restoration of depressional landscapes or gilgai, meaning "little water".  These are small, temporary wetlands ranging in size from about 100 square feet to over 2,000 square feet with depths of 2 to 12 inches.  These are important in a wetland system since they warm quickly in the spring and provide food, mainly insects, for early migrating birds.  They are also crucial to frogs, salamanders and snakes for homes and breeding sites.

Vegetation restoration is dictated to a large degree by water depth, the period of inundation and soil type.  Most of the wetland units occur on tight Osage soils.  Farmers sometimes refer to these soils as "Nooner Soils" -- too wet to farm in the morning and too dry to farm after lunch.  But these tight soils hold water like a bathtub and make great wetlands.  Many of these are managed as moist soil units and the vegetation is a mix of sedges, rushes, millets, and smartweeds.  Burning, mowing and disking may by used to manage the wetland vegetation at prescribed times.  In other locations, trees will become the dominant vegetation and over time hardwood forests will develop that support a variety of oaks, pecan, maple, walnut, hickories, hackberry and other species.

Generally, woodland restoration on WRP is occurring by natural regeneration or natural succession.  However, planting trees and nuts has been used to help speed the process adjacent to bare river banks or other sites where the landowner wants to upgrade the woodland seed stock available from Mother Nature.

One question that arises for landowners interested in this program is "What can be done on the WRP property once the easement is signed and the restoration is complete?"  A thorough understanding of the easement is very important to the landowner interested in WRP.  The easement purchases all rights to farm, drain, dredge, manipulate vegetation, alter water depths, graze, harvest any products, divert water or build any structures.  The landowner retains the right to access and undeveloped recreational uses such as hunting, fishing and trapping.  All other rights and uses of the land are under the control of NRCS, the easement holder. 

Landowners can work through the local NRCS District Conservationist to manage water levels and vegetation by applying for Compatible Use Permits on the WRP land.  This permit allows the landowner to apply a specific practice on the land that will benefit the wetland.  For example, it may be beneficial to burn native grasses that have been planted around the wetland as a buffer, and a Compatible Use Permit would be issued to allow the landowner to carry out this activity.

In 2005 and beyond NRCS hopes to acquire additional easements on lands where the wetlands can be restored to benefit both the landowner and the public.  The landowner gains by receiving a financial incentive by selling an easement to the Department of Agriculture and having the wetlands restored by NRCS.  The public gains from the benefits offered from a functioning wetland -- cleaner water, reduced flooding and creation of a rich, diverse habitat for wildlife.

There are numerous resources available to provide additional information about WRP and other wetland programs in Kansas.  Your local NRCS office can provide brochures and a video entitled "Wetland Reserve Program".  The home page of NRCS in Kansas is a source of information and the local District Conservationist will help you get started with the application process.

Photos

Click on pictures to download or view a larger image.

Migratory waterfowl taking flight from wetland in Cherokee county Kansas.
Ducks and geese hover over wetland in Cherokee county Kansas.

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