Evaluation of Restored Wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region:

Research Design and Overview

Evaluation of the Cottonwood Lake Study Area

Agency:

U.S. Geological Survey
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center

Study Title:

Evaluation of the Cottonwood Lake Study Area

Abstract:

The Cottonwood Lake Study Area (www.npwrc.usgs.gov/clsa) in western Stutsman county, North Dakota has an extensive history of research that dates back to 1967. Research topics have addressed various aspects of wetlands ecology including hydrology (Winter and Carr 1980, LaBaugh et al. 1987), ground-water dynamics (Winter and Carr 1980), soil and water chemistry (LaBaugh et al. 1987, Swanson 1990), primary production (investigation by North Dakota State University in progress), vegetation dynamics (G. Swanson, unpubl. data), seed banks of hydrophytes (Poiani and Johnson 1988), global climate change (Poiani 1990), waterfowl foraging ecology (Swanson et al. 1979), and invertebrate ecology (Hanson and Swanson 1987, Nelson and Butler 1987). Ongoing research at the study area includes a long-term hydrologic investigation that is designed to facilitate a better understanding of the influence of climate on subsurface and surface water interactions, water chemistry, and the diverse biological communities. The current research at Cottonwood Lake is a cooperative effort of the U.S. Geological Survey's Water Resources and Biological Resources Divisions, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The information provided by the extensive survey portion of the "Evaluation of Restored Wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region" will allow us to determine how wetlands being studied at the Cottonwood Lake Study Area compare to wetlands in general throughout the Prairie Pothole Region greatly expanding the usefulness of the data we collect.

Literature Cited:

www.npwrc.usgs.gov/clsa/publ.htm

Contact:

Chip Euliss

Mailing Address:

8711 37th St. SE
Jamestown, ND 58401

Email:

ned_euliss@usgs.gov

Telephone:

Agency-Homepage:

www.npwrc.usgs.gov