North Dakota Wetland areas up over 600 percent

Photo by: North Dakota Game and Fish Department
Photo by: North Dakota Game and Fish Department

(Bismarck, ND) -- The amount of wetlands in North Dakota is up 616-percent over last year.

A drought last year was followed by a wet winter and spring with multiple blizzards and heavy rainfall. The increase in wetlands is the largest increase in a single year.

The expanse of wetlands has also led to a 16-percent increase in the bird population.