Helping People Help the Land

United States 

Department of 

Agriculture

Natural 

Resources 

Conservation 

Service

Farm Service

Agency

April 2012
Wild about Wetlands

Page 2

Wild About Wetlands

Wetlands are amazing places. Think of a wetland as an area of land where the soil is so wet that the 

water can’t drain for a long time. It’s a perfect home for plants, animals, and insects that need a wet 

place to live or hunt for food. If you visit a wetland, you will get to see some water-loving creatures. 

You can find wetland areas around lakes and ponds, along riverbanks, near the coast of an ocean, 

and in low-lying areas of a landscape.

Wetland Wildlife 

Word Search

Circle the names of Montana’s 

wetland wildlife 

hidden in the box.

EAGLE

GOOSE

MUSKRAT BEAVER

DUCK

GARTER SNAKE

SALAMANDER

OSPREY

OTTER SWAN

FROG

SANDHILL CRANE BASS

SUNFISH

TADPOLE

DRAGONFLY

CRAWFISH

TURTLE
Page 3

Wild About Wetlands

Wetland Types

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There are three wetland groups: marine, tidal and non-tidal. Marine wetlands are found in coastal 

shallows. Beaches and shallow coral reefs are marine wetlands. Tidal wetlands, or estuaries, occur in 

coastal areas inland from the oceans that are still affected by tides. The Everglades in Florida are tidal 

wetlands. Non-tidal wetlands occur inland and are not affected by the tides. Some types of non-tidal 

wetlands are peat bogs, fens, mountain meadows, and prairie potholes. Non-tidal wetlands make up 94% 

of the wetlands in the United States!

Montana is a long way from the ocean, so it’s easy to guess that Montana’s wetlands are non-tidal. But 

how can you tell if it’s a marsh, a bog, a prairie pothole, or some other type of wetland? Here are some 

definitions to help you identify the different kinds of wetlands you might find in Montana.

 are wetland areas 

that develop when rain and melting snow fill low 

spots left on the landscape by glaciers. These 

 are found in northeastern Montana.

 are freshwater wetlands with spongy

peat deposits, evergreen trees, and a bottom 

covered by a thick carpet of sphagnum moss.

 is an area that is saturated (wet), 

flooded, or ponded for much of the year and has 

non-woody vegetation that grows well in wet soil.

 are groundwater-fed, peat-forming wetlands 

covered by grasses, reeds, and wildflowers.

Connect the dots 

to see a wetland 

wildlife animal.

Bogs

Fens

A mountain meadow

Prairie potholes

A swamp is a wetland area fed 

 mainly by surface water and 

 covered in trees and shrubs.

A marsh

 ,

or wet meadow, is a grassy area where the 

ground is often damp and squishy 

from rain or melting snow. A wet 

 meadow does not usually 

 have standing water.
Page 4

Wild About Wetlands

Wetland Plants

water lily

amphibian

wetland

beaver

conservation

cattail

dragonfly

sedge

habitat

watershed

mammal

warm-blooded animal with skin and hair, 

includes humans

the type of environment where a plant or 

animal usually lives

cold-blooded animal with moist skin that grows up 

in the water and lives in or near water as an adult

area of land where all the water 

drains into one river system

area where the soil is so wet that the 

water can’t drain for a long time

protecting and managing the 

environment and natural resources

flat-tailed mammal that lives in and 

out of water and builds dams

tall plant that grows in the water and has a 

brown seed cluster that looks like a hot dog

insect usually found near wetlands because their 

young, called nymphs, live in the water

Draw a line 

from the 

words to their 

definitions.

plant that grows in damp areas and has a solid 

stem, grass-like leaves, and non-showy flowers

plant with round green leaves that float at the 

water surface, yellow flowers, and thick stems

Wetland 

Vocabulary 

Match

Sedges grow in damp areas 

and have solid stems, grass-like 

 leaves, and non-showy 

 flowers.

A cattail is a tall plant that grows 

 in the water and has a brown seed 

 cluster that looks like a hot dog.

 Water lilies have round

green leaves that float 

 at the water surface, 

 yellow flowers, and thick 

 stems.
head

neck band

tail

outer 

tail feathers

legs and feet

side

wing

back

chest

bill

side

Page 5

Wild About Wetlands

Wetland Waterfowl

Birds that live on or near the water are called waterfowl. One type of waterfowl that is often seen around 

wetlands is the mallard duck. Mallards can be found across the northern United States and as far north as 

the Bering Sea near Alaska. They are most common in the prairie pothole regions of northeastern 

Montana, as well as North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Female mallards are shades of brown 

and make nests on the ground near wetlands to lay around nine eggs. Male mallards are much more 

colorful with a green head, white neck band, reddish brown chest, grayish wings and sides, and a brownish 

back. Their tails are black, except for the white outer tail feathers. Their bills are yellow, but their feet and 

legs are red.

Color the duck to look 

like a male mallard.
Did you know?

Wetlands are 

not necessarily 

"wet" all year round.

Wetlands can 

contain fresh water, salt 

water, or a combination 

of the two!

Wetlands make 

up 6 percent of 

the Earth's 

surface.

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Page 6

Wild About Wetlands

Across

Down

Wetlands Crossword

2. A wetland fed by surface water and covered in trees and shrubs

4. Wetland areas where rain and melting snow fill low spots left on the landscape by glaciers

7. The type of environment where a plant or animal usually lives

9. Flat-tailed mammals that live in and out of water and build dams

10. Groundwater-fed wetlands covered by grasses, reeds, and wildflowers

11. Freshwater wetlands with spongy peat deposits, evergreen trees, and a floor of moss

12. A tall plant that grows in the water and has a brown seed cluster that looks like a hot dog

1. A cold-blooded animal with moist skin that lives in or near the water 

3. A plant with round green leaves that float at the water surface, yellow flowers, and thick stems

5. An insect usually found near wetlands because their young, called nymphs, live in the water.

6. A group of flying animals found around wetlands; some examples are ducks, geese, and swans

8. An area that is wet or flooded much of the time and has non-woody vegetation
Wetlands filter and 

collect sediment from 

runoff water, helping 

prevent mud from 

clogging lakes and 

reservoirs farther 

downstream.

Wetlands slow the overland 

flow of water, reducing soil 

erosion along water courses 

downstream.

Wetlands store rain water 

temporarily, allowing it to move 

into the ground or evaporate. 

The temporary storage 

reduces high water flow.

Wetlands are prime 

habitat for nesting, 

feeding and cover for 

insects, amphibians, 

reptiles, waterfowl, 

songbirds, and 

mammals. Wetlands 

in the United States 

are home to about 

5,000 plant species, 

190 species of 

amphibians, and a 

third of all native bird 

species.

Start

Trying to farm 

frequently flooded Finish

areas can cost a lot 

of money; the better 

economic choice 

may be to 

restore a 

wetland.

Wetlands are ideal places to 

hunt, watch wildlife, take 

photographs 

and just 

relax and 

enjoy 

nature.

Follow the way through this maze 

and you will see the route water 

takes from its source to the ocean 

and how wetlands help to make it 

cleaner and safer for all to use.

The cleansing 

power of wetlands 

provides natural 

pollution control by 

removing chemicals 

and nutrients 

from water.

Page 7

Wild About Wetlands

Wetland Values

Wetlands perform an amazing assortment of ecological functions that we have only recently begun to 

appreciate. A century ago, some people thought it would be a good idea to get rid of wetlands. Today, we 

recognize the values that wetlands provide. Wetlands help us by storing and cleaning water; growing 

plants and animals; and giving us a place to fish, swim and have fun.

Reduced Soil 

Erosion

Habitat

for Wildlife

Less

Sediment

Reduced Flooding

Money Sense

Water

Quality

Outdoor Fun
Page 8

Wild About Wetlands

The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) is designed to help private landowners trying to restore wetlands 

that were drained in the past. This popular program has been used to restore nearly 2.5 million acres 

since it began in 1994! Most of these acres are put into permanent easements, which means the Natural 

Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) buys certain rights from the landowner and pays for the entire 

wetlands restoration project. The landowner keeps title, control of access, and certain other rights, but 

must protect the restored wetland ecosystem for future generations. The permanent easement remains in 

place even if the property is sold in the future.

The Wetlands Reserve Program

04/12 MT USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Answer

 Keys:

This puzzle is called a Cryptogram. At the top there is a KEY that lists all the letters from 

A thru Z with a box below. Each of the letters has a corresponding number. The bottom 

part contains a secret phrase. Each of the blanks has a number underneath it. Fill in the 

letters that correspond to the numbers below the blanks to solve the phrase.

Can you solve this word puzzle?

The Wetlands Reserve Program

Is a program for landowners to

protect, restore and enhance

wetlands on their property. 11

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water lily

amphibian

wetland

beaver

conservation

cattail

dragonfly

sedge

habitat

watershed

mammal

warm-blooded animal with skin and hair, 

includes humans

the type of environment where a plant or 

animal usually lives

cold-blooded animal with moist skin that grows up 

in the water and lives in or near water as an adult

area of land where all the water 

drains into one river system

area where the soil is so wet that the 

water can’t drain for a long time

protecting and managing the 

environment and natural resources

flat-tailed mammal that lives in and 

out of water and builds dams

tall plant that grows in the water and has a 

brown seed cluster that looks like a hot dog

insect usually found near wetlands because 

their young, called nymphs, live in the water

plant that grows in damp areas and has a solid 

stem, grass-like leaves, and non-showy flowers

plant with round green leaves that float at the 

water surface, yellow flowers, and thick stems 2

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