Habitat Improvements
As succession occurs, the change in habitat affects the type and number of wildlife the habitat can support. Wildlife managers work with land management agencies to promote new growth and slow the process of succession. **Succession is the natural progression of vegetation and wildlife populations in an area; for example, as trees grow and form a canopy, shrubs and grasses will not have enough sunlight to grow and may disappear.
Press the play button (▶) above to start the video.
Video Transcript
Transcript for Creating Marsh Habitat in Powers Butte
On screen: azgfd.gov
Speaker: The natural beauty and diversity of animal and plant life found in wetlands makes them magnets for life.
Here in Arizona, one of the rarest type of wetlands is the marsh.
Marshes are tracts of low, wet, soft land that is temporarily or permanently covered with water and usually characterized by aquatic grass–like vegetation. When runoff from rains and snowmelt is high, marshes absorb excess water until it gradually drains away. In drier periods, they hold moisture even after open bodies of water have disappeared. Marshes help cleanse the environment by mixing nutrients and oxygen into the water and by filtering out and neutralizing sewage and toxins.
For wildlife, marshes provide nutrient-rich food, a thirst-quenching sip of water, and a resting place. But for as rich and divergent as these natural places are, the true value of a wetland goes beyond natural happenings. How much value does one place on the sheer beauty of a wetland? What is the value of a sound of a flock of mallards in the early morning or the excitement of watching a deer with her fawn around the water’s edge? Can the blare of rush-hour traffic replace the sweet trill of a common yellowthroat? To a growing army of thousands, the answer is a resounding no. More and more of these conservation warriors are putting on their gloves, donning floppy hats, and using sweat power to assure wetlands, such as marshes, will be passed down to future generations. Armed with little more than sunscreen, shovels, and a desire to help, volunteers set out to create a marsh at Powers Butte, southwest of Phoenix. Owned and operated by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Powers Butte Wildlife Area is situated near the Gila River. Here, wildlife is king.
Phil Smith, Arizona Game & Fish: In the desert, you add water, and they will come in. Around here we’re doing exactly that.
Speaker: The task at hand—convert these two acres into a marsh. To do that, sedges will be planted, water applied, and, in short order, the wildlife will flock in.
Phil Smith, wildlife area manager, talks about the types of wildlife he expects to attract here.
Phil Smith: Ducks, waterfowl, wading birds, large game, small wildlife—they all love marshes. So, this whole sedge that we’re putting in is going to be supportive of pretty much all the wildlife that you can find out here.
Speaker: The first step is to mark the field in 10-foot grids. A pre-marked line is stretched across the edges of the field. Another pre-marked line is moved across the field. As the line is moved, volunteers place flags every 10 feet. Once the flags are placed, the digging begins.
Phil Smith: You sink your shovel right in at the flag, and it’s just one shovel’s depth. Pull the soil right off to the side. Don't throw it away or anything.
Speaker: While the digging is going on, the sedges need to be separated.
Phil Smith: Basically what we’re looking for is a root ball of a bunch of plant material with some roots. We don’t have to have a lot of dirt on it, but we'd like to get these roots in there. This could be a transplant right there. We’re not looking for a great big handful or a big amount. We have planted down to just one stem even, and they’ve done real well. So, there’s a transplant. We’ve got lots of those. So what we need is somebody pulling off of this in these clumps like this, and we want to fill the buckets up. And then the buckets go out to start getting planted.
Speaker: Working the land is a hot, dusty job; but as they say, someone's got to do it. Today’s volunteers are from the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Employees Association.
Phil Smith: Most of our project completion is done through volunteers, Boy Scouts, Eagle Scout projects, community service groups, sportsmen's organizations, and many of them just with families that come out and want to spend some time and make things happen out here.
Speaker: These sedges were previously collected from Arlington ponds—another Game and Fish property just down the street from Powers. With the two acres being planted today, Phil will have six acres completed with the capacity of another 10 acres. In addition to these marshes, the master plan calls for cottonwood willow components and a mesquite bosque.
Phil Smith: We’ve got a lot of Cottonwood, some willows that are going to be brought in—transplanted around the pond in these marsh areas, and then a lot of mesquite that we need. We have seeds and mesquite trees we’ll be bringing in and transplanting all that into mesquite bosque area. So, there’s like say about 10 mini projects to get all this accomplished—available for somebody who’s interested.
Speaker: Once the planting is complete, Phil opens the floodgate, and the water begins its job. Overnight, these two acres will fill, and soon we’ll have a full-blown marsh to enjoy.