A coastal technologist for the Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation says wetlands are a natural buffer between shorelines and built up areas. In their absence we often have to construct structures to perform the same functions that wetlands do naturally.
Hannah LaCroix says wetlands provide things like water retention and flood prevention, as well as filtering the water that goes through them while water retention ponds have to be put in many subdivisions. She points out that reduces pressure on municipal water treatment plants.LaCroix adds most of us are familiar with wetlands along the shoreline but she says wetlands further inland in farmers fields or woodlots provide ecological services as those along the shoreline.
The biggest threat to wetlands is humans and LaCroix points out anything we do near a wetland area will affect that wetland.
She points out putting a road near a wetland area will mean things like the salt that is put on that road will eventually run into the wetlands or tiling a field adjacent to a wetland could change the hydrology of the landscape and unintentionally drain the wetland.
LaCroix says it's very important for landowners to understand and appreciate the land they have and work to keep it and the adjacent wetlands healthy.
LaCroix says more and more landowners are recognizing the asset a wetland area can be and are either leaving wetland areas alone or even creating new wetlands on their farms by taking advantage of the many fundraising opportunities available through conservation authorities or governments.
