Why are wetlands important?


To access more information about wetlands, please visit our Wetland Factsheet Series.

Wetlands and Nature






Wetlands and People


 Natural Products for Our Economy

We use a wealth of natural products from wetlands, including fish and shellfish, blueberries, cranberries, timber and wild rice.  Some medicines are derived from wetland soils and plants. Many of the nation's fishing and shellfishing industries harvest wetland-dependent species. In the Southeast, for example, nearly all the commercial catch and over half of the recreational harvest are fish and shellfish that depend on the estuary-coastal wetland system. Louisiana's coastal marshes are tremendously valuable for their commercial fish and shellfish harvest. Wetlands are habitats for fur-bearers like muskrat, beaver and mink as well as reptiles such as alligators.

Fish and Wildlife Habitat

More than one-third of the United States' threatened and endangered species live only in wetlands, and nearly half use wetlands at some point in their lives. Many other animals and plants depend on wetlands for survival. Estuarine and marine fish and shellfish, various birds and certain mammals must have coastal wetlands to survive. Most commercial and game fish breed and raise their young in coastal marshes and estuaries. Menhaden, flounder, sea trout, spot, croaker and striped bass are among the more familiar fish that depend on coastal wetlands. Shrimp, oysters, clams, and blue and Dungeness crabs likewise need these wetlands for food, shelter and breeding grounds.

For many animals and plants such as wood ducks, muskrat, cattails and swamp rose, inland wetlands are the only places they can live. Beaver may actually create their own wetlands. For others, such as striped bass, peregrine falcon, otter, black bear, raccoon and deer, wetlands provide important food, water or shelter.

Many of the U.S. breeding bird populations-- including ducks, geese, woodpeckers, hawks, wading birds and many song-birds-- feed, nest and raise their young in wetlands. Migratory waterfowl use coastal and inland wetlands as resting, feeding, breeding or nesting grounds for at least part of the year. Indeed, an international agreement to protect wetlands of international importance was developed because some species of migratory birds are completely dependent on certain wetlands and would become extinct if those wetlands were destroyed.

Flood Protection

Wetlands function as natural sponges that trap and slowly release surface water, rain, snowmelt, groundwater and flood waters. Trees, root mats and other wetland vegetation also slow the speed of flood waters and distribute them more slowly over the floodplain. This combined water storage an braking action lowers flood heights and reduces erosion.


Executive Order 11988: Floodplain Management Exit- an order given by President Carter in 1977 to avoid the adverse impacts associated with the occupancy and modification of floodplains.

Information from Floodplain Managers

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Association of State Floodplain Managers