A southern Alberta study did multiple linear analyses of abundance and productivity in relation
to edges including water (Koper and Schmiegelow 2006 a and b) and later nonlinear analyses
(Champagne et al., Sliwinski and Koper 2012). Their wetlands were a mix of types including
dugouts and not all were used as a water source by grazers and a few fields were not grazed
at all. Given the mix of wetland types and management, it is unsurprising they found
vegetation height had little relationship to distance to wetland. Most of their study species
responded negatively to wetland edge even at substantial distances including Horned Lark
which Fontaine et al. (2004) had found more abundant near water.