Wetland Destruction

What is a wetland, and why are they important?
What has happened to wetlands in the past? Why are they being destroyed?
What is being done to help save existing wetlands and/or restore degraded wetlands?

Wetlands are perpetually wet areas or frequently flooded areas such as marches, swamps, and tidal flats. They serve the environment in numerous ways, including the maintenance of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrologic, and carbon cycles, the treatment of waste, and the absorption of excess nutrients that might otherwise induce eutrophication. They also contain microbes that are able to transform and purify toxic organic and inorganic chemicals into useable materials such as water, carbon dioxide, or other nontoxic compounds. Wetlands are ecologically valuable because they provide protective habitats and breeding grounds for many different species of fish, waterfowl, and other wildlife. Wetlands are important in flood control, as they act as "natural sponges" by absorbing the water and releasing it slowly in smaller, more manageable, quantities. They help sustain groundwater aquifers by keeping the water contained and allowing it to percolate slowly through the soil. Wetlands are also essential in erosion control due to their ability to trap sediments that might otherwise be transported to streams and rivers. Because of the importance of the wetlands, they must be protected.

Nationally, 50% percent of all wetlands have been filled since 1950, namely for building, pond development, and agriculture. Between the 1780s and the 1980s, Pennsylvania lost almost 60% of its original wetlands. They now account for about two percent of the land in Pennsylvania. Many people do not fully understand the intrinsic value of these ecosystems. People often drain them, dredge and fill them for housing developments, turn them into ponds, or use them as dumps. Wetlands are also being degraded as they are being polluted by substances as acid mine drainage, nutrient runoff, and acid rain. Wetland wildlife dominates the species of special concern list and remains the most imperiled habitat group.

Section 404 of the Clean Water Act regulates activities in wetlands and states that a permit is necessary to dredge or fill in wetlands. Also, individuals are not permitted to develop in wetland areas until a permit has been obtained. In Pennsylvania, certain activities in wetlands such as logging are not allowed until both federal and state permits have been granted. State and federal agencies are presently reclaiming damaged wetlands and creating new wetlands to bring back lost wetland area.

For additional information on wetlands, see the following websites: http://www.wetlands.agro.nl/wetlands_icu/ap/dest.htm
http://members.aol.com/nesierra/news9708.html
http://www.wetlands.cas.psu.edu/