If your yard features a pond, marsh or stream then you are already providing this essential component. If not, there are several ways you can incorporate water for wildlife into your yard. Water can be provided in a container as simple as an overturned garbage can lid or flower pot saucer, or in a birdbath or fabricated pond.

Birds like to use birdbaths that are raised off the ground and provide good visibility to see predators.

• Within a 10' to 12' radius of your birdbath, eliminate low hanging branches that could hide a predator.
• Birds prefer shallow water, no more than 2 inches deep, and butterflies are attracted by even shallower and smaller sources of water. Add rocks to provide safe perches and different depths of water.
• Scrub and change the water frequently since dirty water can spread disease.
• The container should have sloping sides and a rough surface that provides safe footing. Concrete is an ideal material for birdbaths.
• When providing water in the winter, use a submersible heater to prevent the water from freezing.
• Birds are attracted to the sound of water moving. Create a homemade dipper by making a small hole in the bottom of a bucket or plastic bottle and hang it over a birdbath or pond. Even the gentle sound of this dripping will entice a bird to visit. Commercial drippers and misters are also available. For ponds add a pump to recirculate water and create a waterfall.

A well-planned backyard pond can support ornamental fish while providing water to mammals and amphibians that seek ground level water sources. A pond can take the shape of a rigid pre-molded container or a hand-dug hole with a plastic liner.

• Avoid locating a pond in deep shade as shade and fallen leaves promote water stagnation. Since full sun promotes algae growth, situating a pond in a partly shady/partly sunny location is best.
• To minimize the likelihood that wildlife (especially newly-fledged songbirds) will drown in a steep-sided pond, use rocks to create an island and include aquatic or potted plants submerged in the water. Provide at least one area of water-level pond “shoreline” where a waterlogged animal could exit the water. An “escape ladder” can be created by installing a length of garden mesh or window screen material stretching from the pond bottom, over the lip and anchored on the pond edge.