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Prairie Basin Wetlands of the Dakotas:
A Community Profile

Chapter5 --Human Uses and Impacts

5.2 -- Wetland Ownership

Wetlands in the Dakotas are primarily in private ownership, with significant holdings by Federal and State agencies. The primary public landholders managing lands for wildlife production are the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS); the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks; and the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Private trusts and local and national conservation organizations own and manage some wetland tracts for wildlife production in both states. Of an estimated 810,000 ha and 526,500 ha of natural wetland habitat existing in North and South Dakota, respectively, less than 10% is owned in fee title by public and private wildlife interests. The principal public agency owning wetlands, FWS, has fee title to about 36,000 and 17,000 ha of wetlands in waterfowl production areas in the Prairie Pothole Region of North and South Dakota, respectively (Krapu and Duebbert 1989). There are also several thousand hectares of wetland habitat on National Wildlife Refuges (NWR's) in these states. In addition, as of September 30, 1988, perpetual easements have been taken by FWS on 313,352 and 158,057 ha of privately owned wetlands in North and South Dakota, respectively (U.S. Department of Interior unpubl.). These easements protect contracted wetlands in perpetuity from draining, burning, or filling by the landowner or operator, but the land can be tilled, grazed, or hayed when natural conditions permit.

State conservation agencies in North and South Dakota own approximately 9,300 and 21,870 ha of natural wetlands, respectively (Krapu and Duebbert 1989). A significant but uninventoried area of wetlands is contained in the unpatented State-owned lands lying below the meander line of natural lakes and on State-owned school lands (Morgan 1971). Meandered wetlands are mostly permanent or intermittent alkali lakes. An estimated 64,655 ha of meandered wetlands exist in South Dakota (Wittmier 1982); similar statistics are not available for North Dakota. Lands granted to the State for the support of public schools include a wide array of wetland types, including highly productive waterfowl habitat, and are located primarily within native grassland pastures leased for grazing. A total of 152,720 and 62,147 ha of State school lands of all habitat types remain in public ownership in the Prairie Pothole Region of North and South Dakota, respectively (State of North Dakota, Commissioner of University and School Lands 1987; South Dakota Office of School and Public Lands 1987). State school lands are not protected from eventual sale and over three-quarters have been sold in North and South Dakota. The current policy in North Dakota is to maintain remaining school lands in state ownership, whereas South Dakota is continuing to sell its school lands (South Dakota Office of School and Public Lands 1987). A small amount of wetland habitat is located on lands administered by other State agencies, e.g., in state parks and state forests. Other Federal agencies owning limited natural wetland habitat in the Prairie Pothole Region of the Dakotas include the Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Department of Defense.

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