by Beth Burlingame
The Importance of Wetlands
Everyday people drink water without considering
the costs. Scientists estimate that a
of the United States' land area, more than
one-third of the United States' threatened and endangered
aries. When wetlands are located between uplands and water
resources, they can intercept runoff
2,500-acre wetland saves $1 million in water
pollution a year. Without wetlands much of our water
today would have more pollution. Wetlands
help regulate water levels, improve water quality,
reduce flood and storm damages, provide important fish and wildlife
with habitat, and support hunting, fishing, and other recreational
activities.
A wetland is one of a variety of wet environment
from land before it reaches open water. As the runoff passes
through the wetlands, pollutants are removed. In
South Carolina an estimated amount of $5 million
in water treatment is removed a year.
Wetlands help remove 20%-100% of metals in the
water, depending on the type of metal.
Wetlands provide recreational values.
Wetlands often are the subject for painters and
writers.
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Some examples of wetlands are marshes, sloughs,
wet meadows, ponds, bogs, mudflats, wooded swamps, and fens.
In Minnesota originally there were about 18.6 million acres of
wetlands-35 percent of the state's land area. Today there is an
estimated amount of 7.5 million acres-meaning a
60 percent loss. The reason for these loses is because
wetlands are drained or filled so they can be used for other purposes, such as housing development,
agricultural uses, and new businesses. Wetlands provide a home for many
wildlife animals.  For many animals such as deer, wood ducks,
muskrats, insects, amphibians, reptiles, different types of bird species,
and many species of fish, wetlands provide their food, habitat,
and temporary shelter. Although wet
lands make up only about 3.5%
species live exclusively in wetlands. An additional 20% of
the United States' threatened and endangered species use or
inhabit wetlands at some time in their life. Without wetlands many other
animals would have no food or habitat.
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Wetlands help maintain the level of the water table.
They help protect ponds, lakes, and reservoirs from potential flood
damage. Because of the impervious surface in urban areas, the risk
of flood damage is greater. When wetlands are
located near urban areas, the wetlands help absorb the runoff. The
cost of replacing the flood control function of the 5,000 acres of
wetlands drained each year in Minnesota was determined to
be $1.5 million.
Wetlands help maintain and improve the water quality
of streams, rivers, lakes, and estuaries. More than half of the United States' adults hunt, fish,
birdwatch or photograph wildlife in wetlands. The value of these
observations is at least $10 billion a year.
Wetlands help regulate water levels; improve water
quality; reduce flood and storm damages; provide important fish
and wildlife with habitat; and support hunting, fishing, and other
recreational activities. Without wetlands, our water would have
lower quality, many of our plants and animals would have no
habitat, and people would lose a recreational benefit. People should
do all they can to prevent the loss of wetlands because of their value.
Wetlands are disappearing at a rate of one acre
per minute.