Kettlehole Prairie

Discover Kettlehole Prairie in Emmetsburg

This 40-acre tract is adjacent to Watson Heritage Area and was purchased in 2016 with REAP funds.  Kettles form when a block of stagnant ice detaches from the glacier. Eventually, it becomes wholly or partially buried in sediment and slowly melts, leaving behind a pit. In many cases, water begins to fill the depression and forms a pond or lake—a kettle. Kettles can be feet or miles long, but they are usually shallow.