Madison Wetland Management District

The Madison Wetland Management District (WMD), a field station of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was established to preserve wetlands and manage habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. Headquartered in Madison, South Dakota, the District manages 38,500 acres of purchased upland and wetland areas, called Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs). Each WPA is unique in its size, wetland type, and plant and animal community providing for the needs of a wide range of species such as nesting ducks, migrating geese, deer, muskrat, and neotropical songbirds. The wetlands found on WPAs also help prevent flooding in rainy years by storing the moisture while it slowly percolates down into the groundwater. The District also administers two easement programs with private landowners. One is a wetland easement program consisting of 52,200 acres of wetlands protected from drainage and the second is a grassland easement program protecting 39,000 acres of grassland from ever being plowed. Lands are acquired, in part, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with funds from the sale of Federal Duck Stamps.

The District headquarters is located 2 miles east of the town of Madison, South Dakota, and 3/4 miles south of the junction of Highway 34 and Highway 19.