Wetland Restoration
Silver Lake, Wisconsin & Surrounding Areas
Save and protect your local environments.
ILM Specializes in Wetland Restoration
and Wetland Re-Creation.
What is a Wetland?
In Silver Lake and the surrounding Wisconsin region, wetlands are the unique transition zones where land and water meet. They take many forms—including marshes, bogs, fens, and floodplains—but all share the same characteristics: they remain wet for at least part of the year, contain soils formed under saturated conditions, and support water-loving plants. Local wetlands play a vital role in supporting diverse plant and animal life, improving water quality, reducing erosion and flooding, storing carbon, and buffering the effects of climate change. They also provide beautiful spaces for recreation, such as hiking, paddling, and birdwatching, making them an asset to both the environment and the community. Protecting and restoring wetlands in Silver Lake and throughout southern Wisconsin is essential to keeping these ecosystems healthy for future generations.
Loss of Wetlands in Silver Lake and Southern Wisconsin
Since European settlement, Wisconsin has lost a significant percentage of its original wetlands—drained or filled for farming, development, and infrastructure. In the Silver Lake area, these losses have reduced natural flood protection, diminished wildlife habitat, and impacted local water quality. Today, only a fraction of the region’s historic wetlands remain, making restoration and protection efforts more important than ever to preserve healthy ecosystems and resilient communities across southern Wisconsin.
Recreating and Restoring Wetlands in Silver Lake and Southern Wisconsin
In Silver Lake and throughout southern Wisconsin, there is a growing emphasis on recreating and restoring wetlands due to their vital role in protecting water quality, reducing flooding, and strengthening climate resilience. Much of this work happens on former agricultural land, where drainage systems such as tile drains, ditches, and pumps were once installed to move water off the soil. By removing or closing these systems, water can once again saturate the ground and re-establish natural wetland conditions. Land may be reshaped into shallow basins to hold water, while nearby streams and floodplains are reconnected to encourage healthy water exchange. Native plants like sedges, grasses, and aquatic vegetation are then introduced to stabilize the soil, filter runoff, and provide wildlife habitat. To ensure long-term success, ongoing management is needed to control invasive species and support thriving native ecosystems across the Silver Lake region.
Wetland restoration at Pingree Grove. View the project here.
Wetland Restoration Service Examples
Invasive Plant Control
Invasive wetlands plants like narrowleaf cattail (Typha angustifolia), hybrid cattail (Typha x glauca), and giant reed (Phragmites australis ) are a concern due to their aggressive spread and ability to displace native plant species and wildlife. A targeted approach for their control often combines herbicide treatment with physical management.
The best time to apply a wetland-approved herbicide is late summer to early fall, when plants are storing energy in their roots. Herbicide is wiped directly to tall stems or sprayed using a backpack sprayer to coat the leaves and stems. Wait 2–3 weeks after herbicide application to allow it to move into the roots. Then cut or mow dead stalks to remove biomass and open the canopy for native regrowth. In large areas, burning dead material is an option, but this does require permits.
One treatment is rarely enough. It typically takes 2–3 years of follow-up to fully control cattails or phragmites, especially in dense stands.
Wetland Scrape
A wetland scrape is a shallow excavation made to create or enhance wetland habitat by lowering the land surface to encourage water to collect. It is designed to hold seasonal or permanent water and improves conditions for native plants and wildlife while supporting water retention, flood control and improved water quality. Excavators dig out material 6 inches to 2 feet deep and these “pockets” are often left unplanted to create open water habitats. Wetland scrapes are especially beneficial for waterfowl, reptiles and amphibians.
Recent wetlands scrapes include the Forest Preserve District of Kane County (Pingree Grove 2023) and Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (Mill Creek 2025).
Take an in-depth look at a our Pingree Grove Wetland Scrape project.
Wetland Re-creation
Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge is a growing conservation landscape straddling McHenry County, IL, and Walworth County, WI, just between the Chicago and Milwaukee metro areas. Established in 2012, it aims to protect approximately 11,200 acres of wetlands, oak savanna, prairie, and riparian corridors. By removing drain tiles, filling in old drainage ditches, and reestablishing the creek’s original meander, hydrology will be restored along Nippersink Creek that will result in over 100 acres of re-created wetlands. Project will be completed summer 2025.
View some our results at Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge.
Photo courtesy of Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge
Wetland Channel Dredging
Wetlands channels are subject to filling in especially when the wetland is comprised of aggressive cattail and common reed. These plants produce a great deal of biomass every year, coupled with their rhizomatous root growth, fill-in, and choke-off channels over time. The only way to restore the channel is to dredge out the plant material.
Access to wetlands is a challenge since they are – wet. Traditional construction equipment will sink without the use of timber mats which are time-intensive and costly to install. Another option is to wait for the frozen ground to support the equipment which is unreliable given our warmer winters. The solution to this access issue is amphibious equipment. The use of this low-ground pressure dredging equipment allows for access to the most difficult of locations with no concern about wetness or weather.
Click here to dig deeper into our Wetland Channel Dredging service.