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A small light brown toad sitting on a stump against a blurred green background.
Fowler's Toad Fowler's toads begin finding small ponds and vernal pools in the spring to breed. © Aidan McCarthy/TNC Photo Contest 2023
Our Stories in the Midwest

Wonderfully Wild: Why Midwest Wetlands Matter

Let’s wade into Midwest wetlands to discover why these vibrant and dynamic habitats are vital to keep both wildlife and human communities thriving.

April 21, 2022 | Last updated October 29, 2026

A red-winged blackbird flying after a large great blue heron against green vegetation.
Get Out of My Territory! Throughout the Midwest, all types of wetlands provide much needed habitat for a lot of birds, even if some, like this red-winged blackbird male, don't want to share it! © Tulus Simatupang

What You'll Find on This Page

Wetlands are among the most dynamic and important habitats in the Midwest, for people and wildlife. This page explores what wetlands are, why they matter and how TNC is working to protect and restore them in the Midwest.

Scroll down to discover cool facts about these amazing habitats. You can also use the anchor links below this box to get right to what you want to know. 

Midwest wetlands are wonderfully wild—and deeply important. They support rare and unusual plants, birds, insects, amphibians, mammals and countless other species.

They also support us. From rural communities to urban neighborhoods, wetlands help filter fresh water, reduce flooding and store carbon, making the Midwest more resilient to climate change.

But these powerhouse habitats are disappearing from the Midwest. Most have already been lost, and those that remain face growing threats from development, pollution and changing environmental conditions. Protecting and restoring wetlands now means ensuring a thriving future for us and the weird and wickedly cool wildlife that depends on them.

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What Is a Wetland?

Wetlands are places where water and land meet—and where life flourishes. While there are several different types of wetlands, all wetlands have land that is covered by or saturated with water for at least part of the year, if not year-round. They are spaces of transition and change, not fully underwater or fully dry, but somewhere in between.

In the Midwest, wetland habitats include marshes, swamps, fens, bogs, floodplains, oxbow lakes and seasonal wetlands, like vernal pools. All of these wetlands create habitat in slightly different ways, but together they form a vital network for wildlife and people alike.

What wildlife and plants live in wetlands?

Swamps, bogs, fens and marshes might make you think of mysterious, foggy places full of stagnant water and slimy mud. But wetlands are active, dynamic and vibrant places that are home to incredibly diverse plants and animals. Click the photos below for a quick fact about each species.

A brown and blue bird with bright orange legs and feathers wetly spiked on its head walks across large stones next to clear water.
A brown mink peeks up over grasses like it's staring right into the camera.
A small reddish plant with flat lobed leaves and sticky protuberances among brownish grasses.
A thin blue insect with black wings on a green leaf.
A long narrow fish underwater next to submerged vegetation.
A yellow, black, and white striped spider hanging head down on a large web against a blurred green background.
Bright purple-blue blooms in a cluster against a blurred green background.
A dark turtle with a bright yellow throat and yellow dots on its shell standing on muddy ground with green leaves in the corner.
A bright yellow bird with a dragonfly in its beak is balanced on a thin branch over water dotted with green aquatic plants.
A small salamander sitting among plant leaves in shallow water.
A brown and blue bird with bright orange legs and feathers wetly spiked on its head walks across large stones next to clear water.

Green Heron: A summertime Midwest wetland visitor, the green heron is a documented tool user. They will drop feathers, insects or other small objects to lure fish close enough to catch. © David Venable

A brown mink peeks up over grasses like it's staring right into the camera.

American Mink: Found along wetlands and shores, American mink depend on healthy habitats to find food and shelter and to reproduce. © David Venable

A small reddish plant with flat lobed leaves and sticky protuberances among brownish grasses.

Round-leaved sundew: Found in bogs and other wetlands that have nutrient-poor soils, round-leaved sundew trap unwary insects on their sticky leaves, enveloping and digesting them for food. © Angie Cole

A thin blue insect with black wings on a green leaf.

Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly: A common sight in wetlands across the Midwest, it's the male ebony jewelwing that sports the bright blue-green metallic sheen. The females are a duller smoky brown. © Kathy Mansfield

A long narrow fish underwater next to submerged vegetation.

Northern Pike: This large carnivorous fish starts its life in coastal wetlands, where the warm, shallow waters and abundant plants provide a protective nursery for juvenile fish. © Ryan Hagerty/USFWS

A yellow, black, and white striped spider hanging head down on a large web against a blurred green background.

Banded Garden Spider: These large, colorful spiders often build their webs in open areas around wetlands during late summer and fall. © Fauna Creative

Bright purple-blue blooms in a cluster against a blurred green background.

Fringed Gentian: Found along moist, open wetlands and streambanks, fringed gentian flowers only open during sunny days. On cloudy days, their blooms remain closed. © Fauna Creative

A dark turtle with a bright yellow throat and yellow dots on its shell standing on muddy ground with green leaves in the corner.

Blanding's Turtle: Endangered due to habitat loss across the Midwest, Blanding's turtles are mostly aquatic, dwelling in the quiet waters of bogs, marshes, small streams and similar habitats. © USFWS

A bright yellow bird with a dragonfly in its beak is balanced on a thin branch over water dotted with green aquatic plants.

Prothonotary Warbler: These bright yellow summer migrants often make their homes around forested wetlands, giving them the nickname "swamp warblers." © David Venable

A small salamander sitting among plant leaves in shallow water.

Eastern Red-Spotted Newt: While the juvenile stage of this common amphibian lives on land, as adults, red-spotted newts move back to the water, becoming fully aquatic in ponds and wetlands. © Matt Kane

A flock of white pelicans in a wetland.
Emiquon Pelicans Migrating pelicans at TNC's Emiquon Preserve in Lewistown, Illinois. © Laura Stoecker Photography LTD

Disappearing Habitats

Midwest wetlands are at risk. They continue to be drained and filled for both agriculture and development. Roughly half of Michigan’s and Wisconsin’s wetland acreage has been lost—but that’s better than other Midwest states such as Ohio and Illinois, where only about 10% of historic wetlands remain.

Meet Some Midwest Wetlands

Wetlands come in all shapes and sizes in the Midwest, from small seasonal wallows to sweeping floodplains. Click each label to the right to get a quick view of one of the wetlands being protected and restored by TNC in the Midwest.

Illinois River Floodplain

At more than 6,000 acres, Emiquon is one of the largest floodplain restoration projects in the Midwest and is the premier demonstration site for TNC’s work within the Upper Mississippi River system.

A river floodplain is the flat area of land that is adjacent to a river that floods regularly when the river overflows. Because of this, floodplains have both seasonal and permanent wetlands and are biodiversity hotspots. Emiquon hosts hundreds of thousands of migratory birds each year, along with a rich diversity of other life.

Explore Emiquon.

Michigan Coastal Wetland

At more than 2,000 acres, Erie Marsh Preserve in Michigan is one of the largest coastal wetlands on Lake Erie and contains 11% of the total marshland in southeastern Michigan.

TNC restored 946 acres of Erie Marsh, reconnecting it to Lake Erie. The restored wetlands provide native fish and other aquatic life with new breeding areas and protect some of Michigan’s few remaining colonies of American lotus and swamp rose-mallow. Thousands of migratory birds and other wildlife species find refuge within the preserve, too.

Explore Erie Marsh.

Indiana Dune & Swale

Found mostly around the Great Lakes, dune and swale habitats are one of the most unique natural areas in the world—and Ivanhoe Dune and Swale in Indiana is a prime example of that!

Running parallel to lakeshores, dune and swale areas consist of hilly, sandy ridges (dunes) that alternate with low, narrow wetlands (swales). These create vibrant, rare ecosystems that are home to both dry land and semi-aquatic native plants and animals.

Explore Ivanhoe Dune and Swale.

Wisconsin Lake Fen

One of the most biologically diverse areas in southeast Wisconsin, Pickerel Lake Fen is also one of the rarest types of wetland in North America. Fens are fed from groundwater springs, which keep the soil wet year-round. This stops plant material from breaking down, and peat is created within the fen.

Located within the Mukwonago River Watershed project area, Pickerel Lake Fen is home to several rare or endangered plant and animal species. TNC’s work to protect and restore the fen makes it one of the few fens in the state that is under conservation protection.

Explore Pickerel Lake Fen.

Ohio Lake Bog

Declared a National Landmark in 1968, Brown’s Lake Bog is one of the few well-preserved, virgin boreal acid bogs remaining in Ohio.

Like other boreal bogs, Brown’s Lake Bog gets most of its water from precipitation and features a floating mat of sphagnum moss, peat deposits and acidic waters. These conditions make bogs low-nutrient environments and home to communities of specially adapted, rare plants, like carnivorous sundew.

Explore Brown’s Lake Bog.

Wade into Wetlands RETURN
A collage of photos showing different wetlands.

Why Are Wetlands Important?

For wildlife, wetlands are not optional extras on the landscape—they are essential habitat. All wetlands give both resident and migratory animals shelter, food and safety. And when wetlands are lost or degraded, the ripple effects extend across entire food webs and migration systems.

Wetlands are also crucial to helping our communities to flourish and thrive in a rapidly changing climate. Their wet soils hold and store significant amounts of carbon for long periods, making wetlands an important asset in building climate resilience throughout the Midwest. Wetlands also protect our communities by absorbing floodwater, filtering runoff and supporting healthier rivers, lakes and groundwater systems.

Wetlands By the Numbers

Wetlands are truly habitat superheroes, providing for and protecting both wildlife and people. Here's a quick glance at their impact in the Midwest.

  • A dark green icon of a wading bird in water next to cattails.

    75%

    of wildlife species in Wisconsin depend on wetlands for at least part of their life cycle.

  • A dark green icon of three leaves growing from a mound.

    40%

    of endangered or threatened plant and animal species in Indiana rely on wetlands.

  • A dark green icon of a bird perched on a thin twig.

    100M+

    migratory birds, from warblers to raptors, rely on the wetlands around the Lake Erie basin in Ohio and Michigan during their spring and fall migrations.

  • A dark green icon of cattails.

    6,000

    acres of river floodplains, including wetland, restored at Emiquon Preserve in Illinois—one of the largest projects in the Midwest.

How Is TNC Protecting Midwest Wetlands?

Protecting the Midwest’s remaining wetlands—and restoring what’s been lost—demands collaboration, science and smart policy. In fact, it’s work that’s already underway across the Midwest.

By partnering with state and federal agencies, nonprofits, communities and researchers, TNC is scaling science-based solutions that restore habitat and improve water quality where it matters most. Together, we can protect what remains, restore what’s been lost and ensure wetlands continue to support wildlife and people across the region for generations to come.

Can you guess each of these wonderfully wild and wickedly cool Midwest wetland creatures?

Take a look at the photo, read the caption and then make your guess. Move the slider to the right to reveal the answer and see if you got it right!

A dark blue graphic with faint icons of various wetland plants and animals on it with the words 'Which wetland creature am I?' written on it.
A dragonfly with white and brown spotted wings perched on a thin twig.
Do you know this insect? A common sight zipping around or perching on prominent spots in Midwest wetlands, these aerial acrobatic insects are skilled hunters. Only the males of this species have white spots on their wings.
A dark blue graphic with faint icons of various wetland plants and animals on it with the words 'Which wetland creature am I?' written on it.
A small green and white frog clinging to the edge of a leaf against a dark background.
Do you know this amphibian? This common Midwest amphibian prefers life in trees near wetlands or water. Like other amphibians, they need to access water to mate and lay eggs, and their young need water to grow and develop into adults. These animals are also camouflage experts, able to change their color from green to gray to brown to match their surroundings.
A dark blue graphic with faint icons of various wetland plants and animals on it with the words 'Which wetland creature am I?' written on it.
A grey snake with dark spots crawling over grassy plants.
Do you know this reptile? Listed as endangered or threatened in most Midwest states, this small rattlesnake depends on shallow wetlands and related uplands for shelter, food and breeding. The females are ovoviparous, meaning their young are born live. Mom and her brood will stay together for a few days, until the hatchlings shed their first skin.
A dark blue graphic with faint icons of various wetland plants and animals on it with the words 'Which wetland creature am I?' written on it.
A female wood duck with a duckling on her back, floating in still water that is reflecting the greenery around it.
Do you know this bird? A resident of woodland swamps, this bird nests in tree cavities. A day after hatching, their young leap from their nest, tumbling through the air to the ground, then making their way to mom, who is waiting for them in the water. The new hatchlings are well adapted to this initial leap and can survive falls of more than 50 feet without injury.
A dark blue graphic with faint icons of various wetland plants and animals on it with the words 'Which wetland creature am I?' written on it.
A brown furry muskrat sitting on a mostly submerged log. Its reflection can be seen in the water.
Do you know this mammal? These common aquatic rodents prefer shallow water and still wetland pools, where they eat aquatic plants. They also build tangled lodges from non-woody wetland plants, like reeds, for shelter and protection. These lodges usually have one entrance underwater.

Hop into a wetland near you!

From ephemeral vernal pools to sweeping river floodplains, TNC’s preserves in the Midwest offer a variety of wetlands to explore. So, pull on your hiking boots, find your spot on the map and discover just how beautiful and amazing wetlands can be.

Find a Preserve

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Emiquon: Bringing a River Floodplain Back to Life

The Nature Conservancy’s Emiquon Preserve is a prime example of successful river floodplain restoration. Learn more about the history of the Emiquon Preserve and TNC’s role in its conservation.

Protecting Indiana's Water

Without sound water policy, Indiana’s economic future is down the drain.

The Buzzzz at Grand River Fen Preserve

Years of prairie restoration are paying off—endangered bumblebees are back at Grand River Fen Preserve.

Treating Invasives and Monitoring Wildlife: Restoring 600 acres of wetlands in the Lower Cuyahoga

In Lower Cuyahoga River area, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Ohio is working with partners to restore 600 acres of wetlands—funded by a Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act grant.

Rare Dragonfly Gets a Helping Hand

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By Emily Mills