Wetlands as Unsung Heroes

(Source: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Issue Brief, Wetlands Values and Trends).

Wetlands share in being unsung helpers to naturally clean our environment.

Many wetlands slow water flow, reducing flooding and soil erosion. They are natural reservoirs for rainwater and runoff and help to recharge groundwater supplies and extend streamflows during low rainfall or drought.

This natural cleansing power aides pollution control by helping to remove nutrients, pesticides and sediments from surface waters. They can also be highly efficient and low cost alternatives for treating sewage and animal waste.

Historically, wetlands were thought of as valuable only as sources of peat and fossil fuels and places to fish and hunt. But the more wetland scientists and natural resource managers study these areas, they soon began to discover that they are of significant economic and ecological importance.

In addition to their specific benefits, all water on the planet moves through what is known as the "Hydrologic cycle;" wetlands are key elements in that cycle in helping to replenish our water supply.