This research project was initiated to examine the natural establishment of plant species in shallow water and on recently exposed mudflats following the annual release of floodwaters in Iowa's large reservoir systems, and determine suitable species for establishment as wildlife cover and for erosion control. The development of vegetation along a relatively stable shoreline in Iowa contrasts sharply with that in reservoir flood pools. The shoreline of the Lake MacBride subimpoundment of the Coralville Reservoir is well vegetated. This esthetically pleasant area has relatively little soil erosion and provides manageable natural areas for man and wildlife. On the other hand, the impact of extreme fluctuations in the water level of the Coralville flood pool is strikingly visible. Dead standing trees, spectral remnants of the original forest, dominate the upper reaches of the flood pool landscape. Mud and debris characterize the area immediately following the recession of floodwaters.