Bacteria, some varieties of which are harmful to waterfowl or other aquatic life, can multiply to unhealthy levels. Or the water may absorb excessive amounts of salt or other natural elements occurring in the soil. In all cases, aquatic life large and small, from insect larvae to plants, is no longer able to flourish. The wetland sinks below its potential. Nature's solution is to let the wetland dry up.
Plants drop seeds into the muck and wither away.
Shrimp and other tiny things lay eggs and die. Salamanders and frogs and turtles may bury themselves in the mud or hit the road in search of another oasis. The wetland may remain dry for a year or even longer, depending on the season's rain or snowfall. All rights reserved.