Plants in this wetland area have soft stems. Part of stem and roots are in wet soil. The rest of the plant sticks up above the water or soil. Cattail, bulrush and reed canary grass are found in marsh. Sedges, grasses and willow grow on peat in fens.
Fens have slow moving water that rinses acid from the soil.
Meadows are created by seasonal flooding in the emergent wetland. Emergent wetland areas are home to wildlife. Migrating birds rest and feed in this wetland area. Ducks, geese, red-winged blackbirds fly through. Herons wade in the emergent zones.