Wetland Restoration, Enhancement & Creation
Various terms are used in reference to wetland restoration. Definitions follow for several key terms that are used to describe different types of wetland projects.

Wetland restoration is defined as the reestablishment of wetland conditions similar to the original condition in an area where wetlands were altered by past human activities. Many of the state’s former wetlands are significantly disturbed and have been altered by such activities as ditching, drain tile installation, stream channelization, and sedimentation. These areas generally have hydric soils typical of wetlands, and may have some wetland plants growing among weeds or crops. The key to wetland restoration of these sites is reestablishing the area’s original hydrology and topography, and restoring natural processes including the original native plant cover.

Wetland enhancement is defined as the maintenance and management of existing wetlands for a particular function or value, sometimes at the expense of other functions or values. Degrees of enhancement activity range from simple measures to more complex activities. Generally, wetland enhancement activities are used to restore severely degraded wetlands to higher quality sites. Enhancement includes management activities that affect wildlife habitat and vegetation. These activities compensate for natural processes that no longer exist. Examples include using prescribed burns, controlling invasive species, planting upland buffer zones, and providing nest boxes for wildlife.Wetland enhancement can change the physical characteristics of a functioning wetland. Examples include impounding water behind a dike or dam at higher levels than historically present or dredging a pond in a relatively undisturbed wetland. These activities usually require permits and result in enhancing one wetland function at the expense of others. Enhancement techniques should be evaluated carefully, because one generation’s enhancement could create unintended problems for the next generation.

Wetland creation is the establishment of a wetland in an area where a wetland never existed historically. We create artificial wetlands by impounding water behind a dike or dam or excavating surface soils in upland areas to create a depression. These efforts are costly and laborintensive and the resulting "wetland" may not fit into the landscape and may never function as a natural wetland. Wetland creation requires a higher level of science than presently available. The first problem encountered in creating wetlands is establishing suitable wetland hydrology. Even if that is accomplished, hydric soils appear to be critical to establishing a healthy wetland plant community. It is difficult to create the soil conditions that were formed by natural processes over thousands of years.

What kind of restoration has the best track record? Based on the hundreds of wetland restorations and wetland enhancements and alterations that have been made across the state during the last 50 years, we are beginning to learn what works and what doesn’t. The most ecologically sound and most cost-efficient approach to wetland restoration is to restore degraded, formerly drained wetlands by systematically undoing the activities that were done to alter them.

Wetland Restoration Project Goals
There are a variety of restoration techniques and approaches that can be employed depending upon the restoration goals for a particular site. Restoration goals range from comprehensive to simple improvements:
1. Historic Restoration- Returning the site to a close approximation of original topography and wetland hydrology are goals of historic restoration. You use the information you gathered to reverse each site impact. In the end, you want to create a self-sustaining site and let natural processes restore the wetland. A variety of techniques, specific to each site, are often used to reach this goal.
2. Restoration Within Limits- Not all sites can be restored to their historic state. Often, you may own only a part of the original wetland and some ditches must be retained to avoid flooding neighboring lots. If your neighbors will not join in with you, it may still be worthwhile to create the best restoration you can within the confines of your circumstances. The goal of the project is then to create a self-sustaining system within limitations by using as many tools as you can.
3. Small Shallow Marsh Scrapes- Creating a series of shallow water bodies that attract wetland wildlife, including waterfowl, in lands formerly converted to cropland from wetland is a goal of shallow scrape projects. Many of these sites are constructed as small potholes in cropped fields, often using drain tile breaks, scrapes, and berms to trap water. Usually successful at attracting waterfowl, these projects do require berm maintenance and may not be self-sustaining wetlands in the long term. This approach is not recommended for functional native wetlands.
4. Management/Enhancement of Wetland- These projects aim to increase the overall plant and animal diversity on your site via active management. Many sites are severely degraded by invasive plants. An example of a management/ enhancement plan would be to initiate a prescribed burn, eliminate the invasive plant species, and plant a buffer zone of native prairie grasses to encourage wildlife habitat and nesting areas.

Restoration Handbook for Wisconsin Landowners
Protecting and restoring Wisconsin's wetland heritage will require involvement of many partner agencies and organizations. And because the majority of Wisconsin’s wetlands are located on privately owned land, individual landowners play a crucial role in protecting and restoring wetlands. These webpages are provided as a starting place for landowners and others interested in restoring wetlands on their lands and in their communities.