By Anna Rzchowski, Public Lands Ecologist
This article appeared in the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s October 2026 Newsletter edition.
From Ditches to Thriving Wetlands: Three Restorations Ready for Construction This Winter
There’s a lot to look forward to this year on the public lands front at WWA. We are nearing the home stretch on wetland restorations at Deer Creek Wildlife Area, Poygan Marsh Wildlife Area, and the Ertmer Glacial Habitat Restoration Area. Final design adjustments and permitting discussions are underway. As with any good project, it takes a village. We are thankful to our partners at WDNR and Ducks Unlimited for their collaboration on these projects, and to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) for providing funding. This winter, we’ll break ground on these projects!
Poygan Marsh Wildlife Area, Waushara County
At Poygan Marsh Wildlife Area, a maze of ditches visible in the 1957 aerial photograph winds its way through the wetlands, eventually emptying into Lake Poygan to the east. Wrapping our heads around how water is flowing across the site – and what can be done about it – took several visits over the course of two years. Through conversations and collaboration with DNR staff & Ducks Unlimited engineers, we have proposed and discussed numerous ideas. Area of impact, cost, longevity, permitting feasibility, and equipment access all play a role in which options make it into the final design. Finally, as we near the three-year mark, we are nearing permitting, with construction slated for this upcoming winter.
Deer Creek Wildlife Area, Outagamie County
The wetland restoration at Deer Creek Wildlife Area is also nearing construction. Miles of ditches span the majority of the wildlife area, draining the wetlands and degrading wildlife habitat and unique plant communities. The main ditch is wide and carries vast amounts of water downstream rather than allowing the wetlands to act as a giant sponge, capturing water and slowly releasing it over time. The biggest challenge at Deer Creek Wildlife Area is the topography- everything is FLAT. This means we need to be absolutely certain that any restoration design does not risk impacting neighboring private lands. Fellow WWA Ecologist Mark Pfost and I hiked miles to every corner of the 1,500-acre wildlife area to gather the information needed for design work. Like Poygan, design work at Deer Creek Wildlife Area is in the final stages, and we hope to begin construction as soon as this winter, if conditions allow.
Ertmer Glacial Habitat Restoration Area, Winnebago County
The wetland restoration at the Ertmer Glacial Habitat Restoration Area (Ertmer GHRA) in Winnebago County has been ready to go for a while. We will disable four small ditches on the property that seasonally drain the surrounding wetlands and construct two shallow wetland scrapes to provide habitat for waterfowl, invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians, and other wetland wildlife. We’ll soon put this project out for bid and begin construction this winter.
Behind the scenes, these projects require a lot of legwork to get to construction. Our team has been working hard to turn these wetland restoration ideas into reality. We hope that you are excited to get out and enjoy these wetlands next year- I know I am!
