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Value of WetlandsFor the past two centuries, farmers and other developers have installed approximately 3,000,000 miles of drain tiles across the wet soils of the Midwest to make way for farms, cities, industries, and homes. Extensive draining, leveeing, and channelizing of floodplain wetlands now are responsible for extensive flood damage and for fueling a nutrient-rich "dead zone" in the fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico. Returning the floodplains to their basic functions – holding floodwaters, improving water quality, and supporting rich, biodiverse habitats – will:
Above photo: A canoeist exploring the Hennepin & Hopper Lakes gets enveloped in a sea of American lotus. © Ron Wu, used with permission. |
Living With Wetlands
What is a Wetland?Wetlands are parts of our landscape that are either permanently or seasonally wet. Wetlands are diverse, each with a community of plants and animals adapted to wet conditions. Some specific wetland habitats in the Midwest include marshes, floodplain forests, bogs, seeps, fens, sedge meadows, swamps, and vernal pools. |
“[The Wetlands Initiative has] a complete understanding of how our waterways connect us to each other, the earth, and the animals that inhabit those spaces."
— Online supporter
The Wetlands Initiative is dedicated to restoring the wetland resources of the Midwest to improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat and biodiversity, and reduce flood damage.
