Wetlands, like marshes, bogs, and wet meadows, provide many obvious and not so obvious benefits for uses other than wildlife. This includes benefits for those in farming and ranching. Here are a few of the top ways wetlands help:
- Wetlands protect property from downstream flooding and erosion by slowing and spreading runoff from storm events and snow melt.
- Wetlands filter nutrients, sediment and chemicals through a natural filtration system.
- Many wetlands recharge the groundwater table, which helps keep nearby wells supplied and streams flowing during dry summer months.
- Wetlands can be watering sites for livestock and enhanced forage production for haying and grazing. Livestock often utilize shade from trees that grow adjacent to wetlands and in riparian habitats.
- Wetlands benefit agricultural producers economically through money saved on farming operations, government compensation assistance programs and hunting leases.
- A healthy wetland base will keep additional wildlife species from being listed under the Endangered Species Act which is important since more than a third of threatened or endangered species are wetland-dependent. This helps all land users and the economy of Wyoming.
Publish Date
Answered By
Steve Tessmann
Job Title
Staff Biologist
Photo
Ask Game ID
92
Node order
218
Parent Node
1135