Low summer water levels in Danielson Ditch prior to site restoration. - USFWS photo

Danielson Ditch water levels rose dramatically following the restoration work. - USFWS photo

Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, located near Necedah, Wis., has restored the historic hydrology to 300 acres of partially drained sedge meadow by filling two sections of Danielson Ditch, a major refuge drainage ditch. Ducks Unlimited, Wisconsin Waterfowl Association, and the Friends of Necedah NWR contributed funding to match a $5,000 FWS Challenge Cost-Share Grant which paid for Strohmeyer Construction, a local private contractor, to fill in two 100 foot sections of ditch where it passed through forested uplands.

The ground water table has risen rapidly and is expected to reverse the area's past succession from open sedge meadow to closed shrub swamp. Refuge staff completed pre-restoration vegetation and songbird surveys and will document the post-restoration plant community and songbird use in the coming years.