Wetlands are low-lying areas where land and water meet. The Windings West Wetland is especially valuable because many critical natural wetlands in Kane County have been destroyed by draining, filling, and dumping.
The Windings West Wetland is a “wet meadow” along this part of Ferson Creek.
- It is saturated with water seasonally, but there is no standing water for much of the year.
- The water table is near the surface, even when it looks dry. If you step on it, your feet might get wet!
- Wetland plants include grasses, willows and other moisture loving plants.
- Reed canary grass, introduced by humans, endangers the wetland ecosystem, choking out native plants.
Wet meadows are important.
- They filter the water, improving water supply and quality.
- They help control flooding by absorbing the water that overflows the banks during large rain storms.
- They provide habitat for wildlife, increasing ecosystem biodiversity. Butterflies and other Insects flourish in wetlands, and supporting frogs, beavers, muskrats, herons, ducks, and kingfishers.
