Backyard Habitat
Providing for the Needs of Wildlife: Water
Water is essential to life—without it, most plants and animals would not be able to exist. There are two basic things wildlife needs when it comes to water—it needs to be available and it needs to be clean. Animals use water for drinking, bathing, and raising young—if the water source is not healthy, then the animals will not be healthy. While most people can’t add a river or a lake to their backyard, you can install a bird bath, puddle area, rain garden, or a pond to create a wildlife paradise.
Helpful Tips Before You Begin
- Keep it simple, keep it clean: If you decide to add a water feature, be sure that you can keep it clean. Bird baths and other features do need routine cleaning and maintenance to be successful, so don’t create too much work for yourself.
- Location, location, location: Make sure the water feature is in a location that is easy to access for cleaning and maintenance. A water feature that is near a food and shelter source can be ideal for many species of wildlife.
 Why Water?
- All life depends on water!
- A clean source of water, combined with available food and shelter, will increase the types and amounts of animals that visit your backyard habitat.
- Many water features produce pleasant sounds—increase the peace in your habitat.
Water 101
- Choose your location: Take a careful look at where you want to place your water feature and answer a few basic questions. Is it a sunny or shady location? How much space do you have available? Is the location accessible for cleaning and maintenance? Is there food and shelter nearby? See the Attracting Birds to your Birdbath section of WDFW’s page on Birdbaths for information on placement.
- Choose your water feature: Depending on your space and budget there are many different water features you can add to your backyard. There are many resources available to help you decide which one is right for you. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has great information on installation and maintenance of Bird Baths and Ponds.
- Get it going: Now it’s time to get busy! Depending on the scale of your project it may take a while to complete—just remember, you are doing it for the wildlife and your reward will be a productive and peaceful backyard habitat.
- Keep it clean, naturally: Check your water feature weekly to determine if cleaning or maintenance is needed. Keep your water chemical-free as many of these additives are not healthy for wildlife, pets, and humans! A clean, chemical-free water source is a must for healthy wildlife. See WDFW’s section on Maintaining Birdbaths for tips on how to maintain a water feature in this way.
- Enjoy! You’ve made a significant improvement to your backyard habitat and the local wildlife will show their appreciation by stopping by for a visit.
Next up: Shelter
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