CHEYENNE BOTTOMS, Kan. (KSNW)—Former farmland in Cheyenne Bottoms is being restored to its natural wetland state as bird populations decline due in part to a lack of shallow pools in the area.
The roughly 1,000 acres of former farmland are being renewed under the supervision of the Kansas chapter of the Nature Conservancy.
The wetland is in an earlier stage of restoration. Multiple pits were dug in the dirt. The hope is that when it rains, the pits will turn into a shallow pool, perfect for shorebirds that pass through during spring migration.
It’s all part of an effort to return the land to its natural state and restore the birds’ habitat to slow population declines.
Cheyenne Bottoms is the largest wetland in the interior United States.
“It’s a wetland of international importance; we’ll have millions of birds stop over here every year during their migration cycle, both in the fall and springtime. It’s a very important stopover point for not just waterfowl but shorebirds and a number of other wildlife species,” said Jason Wagner, public land manager for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.