Wetlands protect people and property from flooding.

• Wetlands are usually located in low-lying areas,(1) so they act as a sponge to collect and hold large quantities of surface runoff during storms, helping to prevent floods.(2) One acre of wetlands can store up to 1.6 million gallons of floodwater.(3) The excess water then gradually returns to rivers, streams, and underground watertables, providing a continuous supply for use by humans and wildlife.
• Wetlands save us billions of dollars in property damage by absorbing floodwaters and serving as buffers during storms. The National Weather Service estimates annual flooding costs have risen to $3.1 billion per year. Flood damage costs have tripled since 1950. According to the Sierra Club, destroying wetlands and converting the land to agriculture increases water runoff from fields by 200 to 400 percent. Conversion to roads and pavement increases runoff even more.(4)
• Damage from flooding and water erosion tends to increase as wetlands disappear. States that have lost 80 percent or more of their wetlands – Ohio, Kentucky, California and Missouri, for example – have experienced their worst flooding during recent years.(5)

Wetlands filter pollution from our drinking water.

Because of their location between water and land, wetlands provide a buffer zone to intercept polluted runoff before it contaminates our lakes, rivers, and coastal waters. Wetlands act as natural water filters, absorbing pollutants, pesticides, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other contaminants before they infiltrate our drinking water.(6) They also reduce the movement of silt and sediment into our rivers and streams. By serving as a natural filtration system, wetlands help ensure we have clean water for consumption and recreational use.(7)

Wetlands provide habitat.

• Animals, like humans, need water to live. Wetland ecosystems provide habitat for a variety of large mammals, birds, fish, plants, reptiles, and amphibians. The EPA reports, “More than one-third of the United States’ threatened and endangered species live only in wetlands, and nearly half use wetlands at some point in their lives.”(8)
• About one-third of North American bird species use wetlands and 138 bird species cannot survive without wetland habitats.(9) The Audubon Society estimated that eighty percent of federally threatened and endangered bird species rely on wetlands.(10) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that up to 43 percent of the threatened and endangered species need wetlands for their survival.(11) When we protect wetlands, we are also protecting the many species dependent on those ecosystems for survival.
• New research shows that the more diverse a wetland is, the better it can serve as a natural water purifier. Katharina Engelhardt and Mark Ritchie of Utah State University in Logan manipulated the diversity of four different aquatic plant species in experimental ponds. As species richness increased, so did the total combined biomass of macrophytes and algae and, therefore, the ponds’ ability to support animal life and purify water.(12)

Wetlands are important to those who fish.

Wetlands are essential spawning areas for fish, allowing them to procreate and replenish. Wetlands also provide the smaller insect and fish that serve as food to many larger game fish. The loss of wetlands threatens the $45 billion commercial fishing industry. A study by William Kier Associates found that “three-quarters of the nation’s fish production depends on estuaries, marshes, and other wetlands.”(13) Over 49 million Americans spend $24 billion a year on sport fishing for striped bass, flounder, trout, and other species.(14) Without wetlands, fish will not have the habitat they need to reproduce and grow.

Wetlands promote tourism and recreation.

• Wetlands provide opportunities for popular activities such as hiking, fishing, hunting and boating. American adults spend $59.5 billion annually on hunting, fishing, bird-watching, or photographing wildlife.(15)
• Poor water quality also threatens the much larger $380 billion recreational / tourism industry, whose most popular destinations are beaches, lakes, and rivers. In 1995, coastal and Great Lakes’ beaches were closed or had advisories posted warning against swimming on more than 3,522 occasions. Ducks and other birds depend on clean water and wetlands, and roughly three million waterfowl hunters spend over $600 million annually in hunting wetlands-dependent birds.(4)

We are losing our wetlands.

Since 1780, the United States has lost more than half of its wetlands.(16) The rate of loss has slowed over the last decade, but we are far behind our goals to protect wetlands. Various studies show that 58,000 to 109,000 acres are still lost nationally each year, and a 1997 survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that roughly 120,000 acres of wetlands are being destroyed annually.(4) The United States is far behind its “no net loss” goal to protect wetlands from loss and deterioration.(17) Just a few years ago, the Clinton administration called for an annual increase of 100,000 wetland acres.(18)

There is no tracking mechanism for wetlands.

The National Academy of Sciences found that no federal agencies are accurately tracking the nation’s wetlands to see if the losses to development each year are adequately compensated. Because of that, a panel of academic and government experts found there is no way to assess whether the nation’s goal of “no net loss” of wetlands, in terms of both acreage and functions, is being met. Between 1993 and 2000, developers were required to replace every acre of wetlands destroyed or damaged with an average of 1.78 acres of similar habitat.(19) Since the Supreme Court SWANCC Decision on January 9, 2001, isolated wetlands are no longer regulated.(20)

Isolated wetlands lost federal protection.

In a closely divided 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled in 1991 that the federal government no longer has jurisdiction over those who want to fill in isolated wetlands.(20) Furthermore, there is no federal law that specifically protects isolated wetlands.(21) Existing protections are provided only under the “nation’s waters” provision in the Clean Water Act of 1972. The current administration’s new policy removes Clean Water Act protections from many of the nation’s “isolated” waters including small streams, ponds, and wetlands. According to the EPA, 20 percent of the United States’ remaining wetlands, some 20 million acres, may now be excluded from the Clean Water Act.(22)

Wetlands restoration is often not effective.

Recent studies have shown that attempts to restore or create new wetlands are often not successful.(23) Generally, restored and created wetlands do not provide the full range of benefits as existing wetlands. Programs requiring wetland replacement are not well monitored: “The National Academy of Sciences found that no federal agencies are accurately tracking the nation’s marshes, swamps, and bogs to see if the losses to development each year are adequately compensated.”(19)

State legislation addresses the problem.

In May of 2001, Wisconsin became the first state to plug this legal loophole with state legislation, 2001 Wisconsin Act 6, that passed unanimously through the Democratic controlled Senate and Republican controlled Assembly. The bipartisan bill passed in the split legislature because it was backed by a broad coalition of sportsmen, builders, and environmentalists.(24) It is up to state legislators to act on this issue before we lose any more valuable wetlands.

Sources:
(1) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “FAQ – Wetlands.” 24 June 2003 <http://www.epa.gov/region02/faq/wetlands.htm>.
(2) Weber State University. Department of Botany. “Wetlands.” 24 June 2003 <http://faculty.weber.edu/sharley/AIFT/wetlands.htm>.
(3) Sierra Club. Clean water and wetlands. “Sierra Club Warns Public About Flood Danger.” 24 June 2003 <http://www.sierraclub.org/wetlands/news/aug25_00.asp>.
(4) Sierra Club. Clean water and wetlands. “Wetlands Protect Us All.” 24 June 2003 <http://www.sierraclub.org/wetlands/factsheets/protect.asp>.
(5) Sierra Club. Clean water and wetlands. “What’s a Wetland Worth?” 24 June 2003 <http://www.sierraclub.org/wetlands/factsheets/value.asp>.
(6) U.S. Geological Survey. “Lessons on the Lake: Why Worry About Wetlands?” 17 October 2001. 24 June 2003 <http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/of98-805/lessons/chpt2/#wet>.
(7) Utah Education Network. “Wetlands Plant and Habitat.” 24 June 2003 <http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/tourViewCategory.cgi?category_id=1010&tour_id=1006>.
(8) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Fish and Wild Habitat.” Last updated 16 January 2003. 24 June 2003 <http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/fish.html>.
(9) Citizens for a Green North Tonawanda. Birds and Wetlands. “If you care about birds, you care about wetlands.” 24 June 2003 <http://www.geocities.com/ntgreencitizen/birdsandwetlands.html>.
(10) Malbin, Joshua. “An Audubon Wish List.” Audubon Magazine (November - December 1999). National Audubon Society. 24 June 2003 <http://magazine.audubon.org/auduboninaction/action9911.html>.
(11) Ohio Wetlands Foundation. “Endangered Species Utilize Mitigation Site.” 24 June 2003 <http://www.ohiowetlands.org/summer981.htm>.
(12) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. River Corridor and Wetland Restoration. Biweekly Restoration Update #6 (12 July 2001). News and Announcement. “Wetlands Show Strength in Diversity.” Last updated 3 July 2002. 24 June 2003 <http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/restore/update/u071201.html>.
(13) Clean Water Network, et al. Prepared by William M. Kier Associates, Consulting Fisheries Scientists. “Fisheries, Wetlands and Jobs: The Value of Wetlands to America’s Fisheries.” March 1998. KRIS Web. KRIS Redwood Creek. Bibliography. 24 June 2003 <http://www.krisweb.com/krisredwood/krisdb/html/krisweb/biblio/general/kierassoc/kier_cwn98.pdf>.
(14) Sierra Club. “Protect America’s Wetlands and They Will Protect You.” Central Florida Group Newsletter Vol. XVII Issue 3 (May/June 2000): 8. 24 June 2003 <http://florida.sierraclub.org/central/PDFfiles/2000_05_newsletter.pdf>.
(15) Hoagland, Roy A., The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Deborah M. Murray, Southern Environmental Law Center. Statement of Identity, Interests, and Authority of Amici Curiae. 5 September 2002. Endangered Species and Wetlands Report. 24 June 2003 <http://www.eswr.com/newdunnenvamici.pdf>.
(16) Duke Energy. Environmental Health and Safety. “Duke Energy Takes Leadership Role in Protecting Wetlands.” EHS News Release (29 October 2002). 24 June 2003 <http://www.duke-energy.com/company/ehs/news/021029cwrp.asp>.
(17) Audubon Population & Habitat. “Audubon Backgrounder: Population & Wetlands.” 24 June 2003 <http://www.audubonpopulation.org/sections/pubsvids/popwetlands.cfm>.
(18) “Ducks Unlimited Weighs In On Task Force Plan To Reduce “dead zone” - Programs That Restore Wetlands Are Critical.” E-Wire.com. 12 February 2001. 24 June 2003 <http://www.ewire-news.com/wires/F3A0CD1C-7A8B-4403-8CA517E6EB24F3C0.htm>.
(19) Sierra Club. Woods & Wetlands Alert. “U.S. failing to track loss of wetlands, report says.” 11 July 2001. 24 June 2003 <http://illinois.sierraclub.org/w&w/WWA01071.html>.
(20) U.S. Department of Energy. Office of Environmental Policy and Guidance. “The Supreme Court’s SWANCC Decision.” December 2002. 24 June 2003 <http://homer.hsr.ornl.gov/oepa/guidance/cwa/swancc.pdf>.
(21) Sierra Club. South Carolina Chapter. “Chapter Conservation Issues.” Last updated 2 March 2003. 24 June 2003 <http://www.southcarolina.sierraclub.org/conservation.html>.
(22) Hirsch, Ananda. “New Bush Policy Weakens Clean Water Act, Threatens Nation’s Waters.” Sierra Club. The Planet Newsletter (April / May 2003). 24 June 2003 <http://www.sierraclub.org/planet/200303/alerts.asp>.
(23) Wilson, Marshall. “U.S. Wetlands Protection Lagging, Study Says.” San Francisco Chronicle (11 July 2001). National Geographic.com. 24 June 2003 <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/07/0710_wirewetlands.html>.
(24) Chaptman, Dennis. “Wisconsin starts wetlands trend.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ( 8 May 2001). JS Online. 24 June 2003 <http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/may01/wet08050701a.asp>.