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<br />Prairie Potholes <br /> <br />Prairie potholes are found in Minnesota, <br />the Dakotas, surrounding states, and the <br />adjacent Canadian provinces. They are <br />widely known as the "duck factory" of this <br />continent due to the large numbers of <br />ducks produced there. At one time the <br />prairie potholes were widespread and <br />abundant. Today they are greatly reduced <br />in distribution and abundance because of <br />drainage for agricultural uses. Prairie pot- <br />holes are extremely productive environ- <br />ments. They are cyclic in nature as a <br />result of periods of drought on the Great <br /> <br />Plains. The cycles of drying and reflooding <br />help to maintain high productivity of water- <br />fowl and other marsh products. Prairie <br />potholes vary in size from less than an <br />acre to several square miles. Some are <br />wet for only a few weeks each year, but <br />even these are important because they <br />are used by breeding waterfowl and they <br />help to replenish soil moisture on crop <br />and rangeland. The abundance of prairie <br />potholes in some areas makes them <br />important in floodwater control and <br />groundwater recharge. <br /> <br /> <br />5 <br />