What are wetlands and how do we define them?

By definition, wetlands are “areas where water covers the soil, or is present either at or near the surface of the soil all year or for varying periods of time during the year, including during the growing season” according to the environmental protection agency.¹ Wetlands are managed primarily by the Army Corp of Engineers, setting the policy for wetland delineation across the entire United States. If you are ever unsure whether or not you are about to build in the area of a wetland, contact these professionals before you continue!

Figure 1: An example of a wetland.²

What was the Great Black Swamp and what did it do for Ohio?

The Great Black Swamp was a wetland that spanned 40 miles wide and 120 miles long, and was believed to be created 20,000 years ago when the last glacier retreated. These swamps provided acres of natural habitat and resources for surrounding wildlife, going untouched for thousands of years, even by adventurous Native Americans.³ This swamp was perceived as an inconvenience to the settlers of Ohio, who desired more room for farmland. Sickness was easily contracted from being around the swamp due to a heavy mosquito population, including cholera, typhoid, and malaria.³ This is what drove settlers to drain this vital ecosystem in the mid-19^th century. On top of losing vital habitat, the Great Black Swamp was an enormous wetland that served as a water filter for water entering Lake Erie. According to an article about Lake Erie algae blooms, we are seeing such a dramatic increase in growth due to the “wrong-headed way people managed the watershed” referring to the removal of almost all of Ohio’s natural wetlands.⁴

So how does this work?

Wetlands are able to absorb nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus from the water, and lock them into the plant structures so they can be cycled through the environment. Wetland plants are able to uptake inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus through their roots, converting them to organic forms for growth in that particular organism.⁵ Why is this good for Lake Erie? Well, two of the leading contributors to algae growth are nitrogen and phosphorus, which are fueling these microorganisms like never seen before. Another factor driving this issue is increased agricultural activity along the watershed, and deterioration of soil quality. With worsening soil health due to land over usage, less nutrients are able to be retained in the soil, causing farmers to apply more fertilizer each year.⁶ However, the two most abundant nutrients in these fertilizers are nitrogen and phosphorus. These nutrients are being runoff during heavy rain events into storm sewers. Without these natural filters, these nutrients are going directly into the lake and contributing to harmful algae bloom growth.

What can be done to fix this?

Wetlands are referred to be “among the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs”, that house a vast amount of species of microbes, plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish and mammals.¹ Protecting our wetlands and habitats can be easy as raising awareness and supporting your local wetlands throughout Ohio seen in figure 2. More policy is being passed in Ohio, requiring that if a wetland must be removed for building purposes, another wetland must be built somewhere else to help stop the degradation of wetlands throughout the state. Other sources of wetland remediation are being carried out through the Ohio EPA, with standards of preserving and protecting aquatic resources, as well as restoring ecological integrity, natural structure, and natural function.⁸ The EPA is also working to address the broader context of the landscape and understanding the effects a wetland can have on an ecosystem. The continual support, remediation, and protection of Ohio’s wetlands will create an environment with plentiful habitat and restore the diversity of species Ohio once saw in the Great Black Swamp.

Figure 2: Wetlands to visit and protect in your backyard!⁷

Sources:

https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/constructed-wetlands¹

https://www.flickr.com/photos/16180154@N07/4761033726²

http://historicperrysburg.org/blackswamp.htm³

https://undark.org/article/great-black-swamp-ohio-toledo/⁴

http://www.wetlands-initiative.org/nutrient-removal⁵

https://www.agriculture.com/news/crops/farmers-rethink-practices-to-solve-algae-blooms⁶

http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/stay-informed/online-articles-amp-features/your-wild-ohio-explorer/post/preserving-ohio-s-wetlands-19⁷

https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/principles-wetland-restoration⁸