08/28/2026
When the water disappears, wetlands become even more important.
During drought, a wetland can look like it’s failing. Water levels fall, mudflats appear, vegetation dries back, and what was once a broad area of shallow water may shrink to only a few isolated pools.
But ecologically, those remaining pools can become some of the most important habitat on the landscape.
As surrounding wetlands and temporary waters dry, fish, frogs, tadpoles, aquatic insects and other small organisms become concentrated in the remaining water. That concentration attracts wading birds and other wildlife from across the surrounding landscape.
These photos were taken during our current dry conditions. The amount of open water is small—but the wildlife using it certainly isn’t. Egrets and ibises were working the remaining pools, taking advantage of exactly the kind of habitat that seasonal wetlands are supposed to provide.
A healthy wetland doesn’t have to stay full of water all year.
Wetting and drying are part of the natural cycle. Drawdowns expose mudflats, stimulate wetland vegetation, cycle nutrients and create feeding opportunities that wouldn’t exist in permanently deep water.
And during drought, every remaining acre, and sometimes every remaining puddle, can matter.
That’s one reason we restore wetlands—not simply to hold water, but to restore the natural processes that create habitat when wildlife needs it most.
Natural State Streams— Restoring streams, wetlands, and the landscapes that depend on them.
