Wapotato

When the water levels are low, it is easy to identify wapotato. Wapato (Sagittaria latifolia) is also known as arrowhead, arrowleaf, duck potato, and Indian potato. Wapato loves shallow ponds, swamps, slow-moving streams, and the margins of quiet lakes. It requires a rich muck that is submerged in water for most or all of the year. In good conditions, wapato can grow in huge abundance. During pioneer times, Indian women collected wapato in shallow water from a canoe or waded into ponds or marshes in the late summer and loosened the roots with their toes. The roots would rise to the top of the water where they were gathered and tossed into floating baskets. Today, the tubers are harvested with a hoe, pitchfork, or rake. Tubers are baked in fire embers, boiled, or roasted in the ashes. Tubers are skinned and eaten whole or mashed.

Looking closely, you will see a few of the Wapoto stalks eaten away by a muskrat. The chewed-off tops are carried into the water, to find a place on the muskrat 'table' of goodies.