About Valley City Wetland Management District
Established in 1971, Valley City Wetland Management District manages both Service-owned waterfowl production areas as well as wetland and grassland easements on private lands located in Barnes, Cass, Griggs, Steele, and Traill counties.The eastern one-third of the District is located in the Red River Valley. This area, characterized by flat, intensively farmed lands, was once the lakebed of Glacial Lake Agassiz. The remaining two-thirds of the District is part of the Prairie Pothole Region. This Region is characterized by gently rolling hills amongst numerous wetlands. The rolling hills were created by deposits of rock, soil, and mineral left behind as the glaciers receded more than10,000 years ago. The wetlands ranging in size from less than 1 acre to several hundred acres.Land use throughout the District is primarily agriculture, with wheat, barley, corn, soybeans and sunflowers being the main crops. The meandering and wooded Sheyenne River Valley, with its numerous draws and pastures, offers a welcome contrast and visual relief from the intensively farmed land throughout the District. Besides visual relief, the valley provides habitat for a variety of non-prairie wildlife such as wood ducks, tree squirrels, beavers, and a multitude of woodland birds.
