The Wetland Education Theater (WET) project endeavors to be a functional demonstration wetland and associated upland prairie in the heart of Mississippi State University’s campus, located on open land east of Landscape Architecture and north of Thompson Hall. The developed site will consist of four water retention cells and a network of walks, trails, and bridges, which will weave through the site and lead to a outdoor classroom. While the classroom and walkways will serve to educate visitors, retention cells will produce flood mitigation by decreasing runoff as well as improving water quality. Native plantings throughout the site will provide ample opportunity for classes from multiple departments to observe a diverse wetland community in a safe and convenient setting. Onsite retention cells will illustrate how stormwater management can be designed as a facility while maintaining ecological functional integrity. Campus-wide use of best management practices, like the ones employed in WET, would yield great benefits for South Farm and downstream water bodies impacted by campus runoff.

Materials for the Wetland Education Theater were developed by Kenny Langley.