Wetlands: Crucial to the environment, and worth billions
Tourism, seafood industries can’t exist without clean water, and wetlands help provide that at no cost to us.
Wetlands constitute an important natural resource that is overlooked by many of us.
When people think of wetlands, they tend to picture unpleasant landscapes, mosquitoes and strange smells, but they don’t see the handful of benefits these habitats provide for the ecosystem as a whole.
These natural benefits often are translated into economic goods. When we look into all of the great things wetlands do for us, it is hard to deny that we can’t do without them.
Wetlands play a key role in regulating water quality and availability in certain areas. When heavy rains occur, wetlands slow down the flow of water; during this process, water replenishes groundwater systems, sediments drop out of the water and surrounding plants absorb many excess nutrients.
Wetlands are so effective at regulating water quality that, in some cases, they can replace water treatment plants. That in itself can save billions of dollars around the country.
Even further, the act of slowing water flow helps mitigate flood damage. By acting as a natural buffer, wetlands typically store about 1 million gallons of potential floodwater, which will reduce property damage for people who live downstream.
In 2010, $34 billion was spent in the United States on repairing damage caused by floods. With stronger wetland habitats, that number could have been much smaller.
Without question, wetlands are a landscape feature every property should be fighting for.
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Another important role wetlands play is ensuring the health of our national fisheries. About 75 percent of commercially available harvested fish and shellfish spend a portion of their life cycle within wetland habitats.
Young fish and crabs rely on clean wetlands for food and shelter. Healthy fish and shellfish are crucial for the continuation of the seafood industry.
In 2014, the United States’ fish and shellfish catch was worth about $5.4 billion, according to a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Wetlands provide us with places for numerous recreational activities — fishing, hiking, hunting, kayaking and photography among them.
The outdoors industry contributes nearly $108 billion to the economy. This includes equipment for hiking and camping, fishing gear and cameras for photography.
Recreational fishing alone brings in an estimated $37 billion, which includes money spent on equipment, fishing trips and licenses.
Wildlife, like waterfowl, attracts many hunters, birdwatchers and photographers to wetlands. Egrets, swans, herons, geese and many other birds spend a lot of time in and around wetlands, as well as many other bird species that utilize them for nesting.
Without these areas, we could see a decline in populations of fish and birds, which are a vital part of the outdoor industry.
These recreational pursuits also mean job security for many people within these industries.
Unfortunately, in the last century we have lost more than 50 percent of our national wetlands, and that number continues to rise every year.
Some of the main culprits of wetland loss are agricultural projects, as well as urban development. Excess nutrients from wastewater and fertilizers deprive wetlands of oxygen that’s needed to keep them alive. This creates dead zones in the habitat, rendering the once-helpful area useless.
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Public perception about wetlands also leads to the continued mistreatment of them.
If we continue to treat wetlands as wastelands, then we will continue to pollute them — or destroy them — for our needs. There have been many cases where we have tried to recreate natural wetlands that we have destroyed, but have found they are not nearly as effective as a natural wetland.
The importance of these habitats is especially true for those of us who live on Delmarva, which is surrounded by wetlands. A large portion of our economy in this area relies on healthy wetlands for our seafood industry and recreation.
As people of Delmarva, we should be familiar with all of the great things wetland habitats do for us. Local policymakers should be working to ensure the value of wetlands is considered when making land-use decisions, and that wetlands are protected from projects that do not provide benefits to society as a whole.
Educating the public about the importance of these habitats will also help people’s attitude toward them as well. Stronger environmental education starting in grade school, as well as on-the-job training for careers that involve interacting with the natural environment, will help.
It is important to conserve what is left of our natural wetlands to help nurture a happy and healthy environment.
It doesn’t hurt to know our country would be saving billions of dollars in the process.
Zack White is an intern with Maryland Coastal Bays Program and senior at Salisbury University.
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