How to Manage Private Duck Wetlands in the Missouri Flood Plains

Drain water in the early summer and not the spring. You want to discourage plants that thrive on drier conditions that could develop if you drain too soon in the planting season. Connect tubing that drains from the shallower portions of your private wetlands, using water pumps that feed the water into a public drainage system or larger permanent body of water. Drain about 1 inch a day until the marsh bottom is exposed. This will encourage plant growth in areas that otherwise would have been flooded, giving ducks -- which feed in shallows of up to 18 inches -- lots of shallow water to feed in for longer periods.

Begin to reflood the marshland areas in late fall or early winter with water pumps connected to a sufficient supply of water (see the chart in the Resources section to tailor these drainings and floodings to your type of wetland). Again, refill the area in the shallows in 1-inch increments over a series of days.

Provide the feed that ducks want to see during their fall migrations. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, which performed an analysis of several thousand gizzards of ducks shot in fall, ducks love these types of plants and nuts the best: millets, planted in summer; nutgrasses planted in spring; smartweeds, seeded in fall or planted in spring; rice cutgrass, planted in spring or seeded in fall; and pin oak, planted in fall or early spring. Plant these and other varieties in the correct locations at the right time and watch your duck sightings rise. (See the aquatic planting chart in the References section for each plant's particulars.)

Stocking bottom feeders to marsh-connected ponds gives another boost to creating the clear water necessary for promoting plant growth and animal visits.

Flood areas of your private wetlands that are currently dried out but contain flooded timber from storms. Do this between Oct. 15 and February each year to keep from killing any trees. Planting duck favorites around this new pond not only adds aesthetic appeal, but also potential duck haunts.

Add to your marshes whenever farmland is resting for rotation. Not only will occasionally flooding farmland add to the duck population but also add continued moisture to the field during off seasons. Flood between Oct. 15 and March 30, then plant in spring or early summer with mound weeds of ragweed, foxtail, wild millet and smartweeds -- which will make the property more attractive to passing ducks.