Wetlands Are Awesome

For most of the United States' history, wetlands were primarily seen as soggy farmland. In that spirit, wetlands were systematically drained and converted to farmland or subjected to other developments. As the country expanded, it lost about half of its wetlands (source).

Photo: Tamarack Bog Nature Preserve, Pigeon River FWA.
Rich Fields, IDNR Division of Public Information and Education

Over the past couple of decades, we have become aware of the vast array of benefits wetlands provide to the ecosystem(s) that support us. As stated on the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM)'s website, wetlands protect our homes, our crops, and our wildlife. Wetland restoration projects have been underway nationwide since the mid-twentieth century. Most people have heard of the Everglades, one of the most wide-reaching and successful (and expensive) wetland restoration projects to date. 

Wetlands protect our homes from floods, as well as stream or river banks from erosion, by acting as a sponge for excess water. They "naturally store and filter nutrients and sediments," which makes our drinking water cleaner. Lastly, "more than one-third of America's threatened and endangered species live only in wetlands." People use wetlands for hunting, fishing, photography, education, and more. The economic value of wetlands as stated by IDEM comes to $59.5 billion. 

As wetlands affect and protect so many parts of our lives, it comes as no surprise that efforts to restore and conserve them are undertaken by a variety of agencies, organizations, and individuals. 

So what's being done to restore and conserve wetlands in Indiana? Federal programs such as the WRP, or Wetland Reserve Program, and its sister WREP, Wetland Reserve Enhancement Program, have a presence here in Indiana. One of the most successful projects as of late was the creation of 7,200-acre Goose Pond, located in Linton, IN. Formerly a permanent easement under the management of NRCS, it is now owned and managed by the Indiana DNR. It is an invaluable resource for wildlife, hunters, birdwatchers, and area landowners.

Click here for a flyover video of Goose Pond.

Wetlands take centuries to form, and much less than that to drain. While the past few decades' successes are notable, and a step in the right direction, it will take centuries for wetlands to recover.

"...On average, restored wetlands regained only about three-quarters of their original biological performance....[Wetlands also] hold at least a quarter of the world's land-based carbon, according to the World Resources Institute’s Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. But restored wetlands hold less carbon—on average, 23 percent less than untouched wetlands" (GOOD Magazine).

Would you like to learn more about WRP opportunities?

How about wetlands in Indiana?