Wetlands are the vital link between the land and the water. They are transition zones where the flow of water, the cycling of nutrients, and the energy of the sun meet to produce a unique ecosystem characterized by hydrology, soils, and vegetation.

Wetlands have a special significance to Alabama's biodiversity. They are among the most biologically productive and species-rich habitats in our State.

Wetlands come in many forms -- swamps, bogs, estuaries, prairie potholes -- but all clean our water. They are crucial for clean water, serving as a natural filter absorbing water-borne pollutants and damaging contaminants before the water enters our rivers, lakes, and streams.

In addition to the water quality benefits, wetlands protect our communities from flooding. They function like sponges, soaking up rain and storing excess floodwater runoff, then slowly releasing floodwaters back into streams, lakes, and groundwater. One acre of wetlands can store up to 1.5 million gallons of floodwater.

Despite the fact that wetlands are of unique value to our society, a 1997 survey by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that roughly 58,500 acres of wetlands are being destroyed annually.

For more information on wetlands please visit:

EPA's Wetland Home Page
USDA NRCS's Wetland Science Institute
National Wetlands Inventory Center