Common Nature

A floodle is a giant puddle that forms in a low spot on relatively flat land. In some areas, they may only last a few hours or days, but in others they can last for weeks or even months. It depends on the soil composition, water table, and whether or not more rain falls. They can be natural, or because of human foolishness.


The technical term is ephemeral pond / pool. You'll also see vernal pond / pool, because they're so common in spring, but that's a bit limiting since they can appear in any season, thus useful primarily if you are specifying a spring use such as amphibian breeding grounds. A related term is ephemeral or intermittent stream, which is a temporary body of flowing water. In some places, these feed into ephemeral ponds.

The term floodle comes from Illinois, which makes sense because we have a lot of them here. it's shorter and easier to remember than the technical terms. Bear in mind that while parts of Illinois used to be eastern woodlands, other parts were tallgrass prairie. There are deeply corrugated areas of upland forest and riverbottom, but much of the state has been ironed flat by glaciers. What's left are broad plains rippled by very low hills and hollows covered with deep soil. That means drainage is often terrible.

Where I live used to be marshland, more precisely wet prairie (see wet plants) or mesic prairie (see mesic plants). Humans installed miles of ceramic tiling for drainage and dug drainage ditches. It sort of works, in that the soil above is less soggy than it used to be. But spring still brings vast floodles to fields and yards. The water is often shallow, but it can get over two feet deep in certain places. Weather has been unseasonably the dry the last couple of years, so I haven't seen as much of this as usual. We used to get floodles in fall too, but the fall rains have largely dried up. Now that winters are more rain than snow -- the zone has changed from 5b to 6a and is now right on the border with 6b -- we also see them in winter. The wettest part of my yard is the prairie garden, where I have sedges as well as grass; the ritual meadow is also on the wet side, and to a lesser extent the south lot. The house yard and forest yard between the north and south parts are a little higher and drier.

Basically, this area used to be marsh before humans changed it, and at least once a year Nature disputes the change. Don't bother arguing; I've seen cars stuck in floodles where the water goes over a road, and tractors stuck in fields. Just wait for it to go away.

Floodles are prime wildlife habitat. They attract vast flocks of birds and a roaring chorus of frogs and toads. Here I often see geese, ducks, killdeer, and sometimes red-winged blackbirds flocking to the water. If you enjoy birdwatching or other wildlife observation, then keep an eye out for floodles. If you see one in an accessible area, go take a look to find out what's dropping by. Stay well away from the edge because the soggy ground is too soft to walk on. All kinds of critters will show up to drink and look for food such as earthworms or water bugs.

If you can see floodles from your home, then check your yard. It's probably mesic to wet also, at least in spots. If there is a soggy spot that annoys you, consider turning that into a rain garden. You could also dig it a bit deeper to create a wildlife pond. Whether you want the water to be temporary or permanent is up to you. Think about your landscaping and the lay of the land, but also, how far you are from another permanent water source for wildlife. Adding a water feature to your yard can drastically increase the number and diversity of wildlife that you see.

For best results use native species, especially in wet to mesic landscaping, as they are adapted to conditions in your locale and will attract more wildlife. Now is a perfect time to add seeds or plants, because spring is wetter than summer and you can see where the water lies. Here are some sources for suitable plants and seeds ...


Seeds

Buy Native Seed Mixes for Ecosystem Restoration -- Natural Communities

Buy Native Seed Packets for Urban Ecosystem Restoration -- Natural Communities

Signature Seed Mixes -- MNL Corp


Mesic Grass Mix -- Seed Savers Exchange

Mesic (Medium) Soil Native Seed Mixes -- OPN Seed

Mesic Seed Mix -- Prairie Legacy (separated into larger and smaller seeds)

Mesic Wildflower Mix -- Seed Savers Exchange

MNL Mesic Prairie Mix


RAIN GARDEN MIX -- Pinelands Nursery

Rain Garden Native Seed Mix -- OPN Seed

Rain Garden Wildflower Seed Mix -- Vermont Wildflower Farm

Raingarden Seed Mix -- Michigan Wildflower Farm


Illinois Native & Wetland Seed Mixtures -- Conserv FS Illinois

Missouri Native Grass & Wildflower Seed Mixes For Wet Mesic Soil Wet Grass Mix -- Seed Savers Exchange

Wet Prairie Mix -- Agrecol

Wet Soil Native Seed Mixes -- OPN Seed


Plants

EDIT 4/12/24 -- see_also_friend pointed out that wet spots may collect runoff from roads. For this challenge, consider native plants that are Resistant to Salt.  Plants that are salt-hardy have a higher chance of tolerating other contaminants that would overwhelm delicate species.  If you want to soak up contaminants and send them away, then look for miner plants like comfrey; instead of the usual chop-and-drop, cut the tops off and put them in the garbage.


Illinois Native Plants -- My Home Park
Use the Shop menu button to get a list of states / regions for selecting plants suited to your locale.

Plant Collections -- Native Communities

Signature Plant Kits -- MNL Corp


Backyard Prairie Kit -- MNL Corp

Big Prairie Kit -- MNL Corp

Mesic Prairie Plants -- White Pelican Farm

Native Ferns -- Prairie Nursery

Native Sedges -- Prairie Nursery

Prairie Grasses and Wildflowers (32 Plants mesic/dry) -- St. Croix

Tall Prairie Grass Kit -- MNL Corp


Plants For Rain Gardens -- Prairie Nursery

Purple Rain Perennial Native Plants Collection [72 plants] -- My Home Park (Midwest species)

Rain Garden Kit -- MNL Corp

Rain Garden Refuge Perennial Native Plants Collection [24 plants] -- My Home Park (California / Western species)

Rain Gardens: Designs, Plant Lists, and Suppliers -- Illinois Library


Shoreline Stablilization Kit -- MNL Corp

Warrior Plants: Marsh and Emergent -- Natural Communities
These native species compete aggressively in their niche habitats, crowding out invasives. See FlyWheel Ecology.

Warrior Plants: River & Stream -- Natural Communities

Warrior Plants: Wet Prairie & Sedge Meadow -- Natural Communities

III.C. Wet to Wet-Mesic Prairies

Wetland Edge Kit -- MNL Corp

Wetland Plants -- White Pelican Farm