Wetlands Have Value

by Joel A. Willhoft, Resource Conservationist,
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Hays, Kansas

Wetlands have long been underrated for their many values. They are just now becoming better understood. Among those values are wildlife habitat, water quality, economics, reduced flooding, and outdoor enjoyment.

Wetlands are ideal places to hunt, watch wildlife, take photographs, and just relax and enjoy nature. They are prime habitat for breeding, nesting, feeding, and cover for insects, amphibians, reptiles, waterfowl, songbirds, and mammals. Up to two-thirds of America’s wild ducks are hatched in prairie pothole marshes. Wetlands in the United States support about 5,000 plant species, 190 species of amphibians, and a third of all native bird species.

The cleansing power of wetlands provides natural pollution control by removing agricultural chemicals, nutrients, and sediments. Wetlands also filter and collect sediment from runoff water helping to prevent mud from clogging lakes and reservoirs farther downstream. And wetlands store rainwater temporarily allowing it to percolate into the ground or evaporate. The temporary storage reduces peak water flow.

Trying to farm wetlands can be expensive. Inputs, such as herbicides and fertilizer, are often wasted when a crop is not produced or harvested because of wet conditions. Even in times of higher grain prices the better economic choice may be to restore a wetland and save input costs for farming better land.

Most of the time simple restoration practices such as grass planting, tree plantings, silt removal, or properly placed water control structures are all that is needed to restore or enhance wetlands. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can assist landowners to achieve improved wetland values by developing wetland improvement strategies in a conservation plan. In addition, there are several programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program or the Wetlands Reserve Program, where financial assistance, rental payments, or even easement payments can be made to landowners who desire wetland restoration.

For assistance in restoring or enhancing wetlands, please contact your local NRCS office or conservation district office located at your local county USDA Service Center.

For more information about NRCS programs, visit the Kansas NRCS Web site at www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov.

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Last Modified: 08/05/2008