A marsh is a type of wetland where water covers the ground most of the time, creating a soft, soggy landscape filled with grasses, reeds, and other water-loving plants. Unlike a swamp, which has trees, a marsh is mostly open, with tall grasses and cattails rising from shallow water.

Marshes form along the edges of lakes, rivers, and oceans, where the water is calm and slow-moving. The ground is muddy and waterlogged, making it difficult to walk across but perfect for plants with roots that can handle being constantly wet. If you've ever stepped near a pond and felt the ground squish under your feet, you've experienced what a marsh is like.

These watery landscapes are vital to nature. They act like giant sponges, soaking up floodwater and filtering pollution before it reaches lakes and rivers. Marshes provide homes for countless animals: frogs, turtles, muskrats, herons, ducks, and thousands of insect species. Many fish lay their eggs in marshes, where the shallow water helps protect young fish from predators.

The word marshy describes anything resembling a marsh, like a marshy field that stays damp even in summer.