Improving Water Quality and Enhancing Wetlands in Jackson, Wyoming

Late last July, Ducks Unlimited staff joined the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, representatives from Jackson, Wyoming, and a congregation of supporters, donors, and partners to dedicate a wetlands enhancement project that not only restored and created new public wetlands, but also improved the water quality flowing from the town's wastewater treatment facility, and into the area's free-flowing rivers.

One of the key features of the project was the installation of small levees and modernized water-control structures that improved water management and fish passage. The result of the work allows managers to better control the inflow and outflow of water from the entire wildlife habitat area, provide better recreational opportunities for hikers, bikers, waterfowlers, and bird watchers, and provide more habitat for migratory species like swans, which frequent the area.

While the project required a fundraising effort that generated just over $1.5M, migratory birds and other wildlife are already exploring the new landscape—and the activity is expected to intensify in the coming years. Other species downstream will also feel the effects of the project—the inflow into the Snake River, a world-recognized trout fishery, is cleaner than it has been in decades.

At the dedication ceremony, DU director of development Chris Hildebrandt said, "This is one of the best examples in the entire western United States of how wetlands are being used directly to help additionally filter treated wastewater. It's just an awesome win-win project."