08/30/2000 Env Bd Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Dakota County Soil & Water Conservation District •1•N World Wide Web: http: / /www.dakotaswcd.org Volume 19, Number 1 Spring, 2000 Most people appreciate Minnesota's lakes and streams. But other wetlands aren't as popular. We often hear comments such as, "this wetland is nothing but a' mosquito trap," or "what good is this wetland anyway ?" Chances are that it's good for a lot, though the overall value of a particular wetland is dictated by its vegetative diversity, landscape position, and surrounding land use practices. Wetlands and their importance to our standard of living are just now becoming understood. The benefits wetlands provide include: • Habitat for wildlife. Wetlands are prime habitat for breed- ing, nesting, feeding and cover for invertebrates, insects, amphibians, reptiles, waterfowl, songbirds, and mammals. Up to two- thirds of America's wild ducks are hatched in prairie pothole marshes of the upper Midwest and Canada. Wetlands in the United States also support about 5,000 plant species, 190 species of amphibians, and a third of all native bird species. • Water quality. The cleansing power of wetlands provides natural pollution control by removing chemicals and nutrients. Recent studies have shown that they also can be a very efficient alternative for sewage and animal waste treatment. Sediment Filtration. Wetlands filter and collect sediment from runoff water, helping prevent mud from clog- ging lakes and reservoirs farther downstream. • Reduce soil erosion. Wetlands slow the overland flow of water, reducing soil erosion along water courses downstream. Reduce flooding. Wetlands store rain water temporarily, allowing it to percolate into the ground or evaporate. The temporary storage helps to reduce peak water flows. Outdoor Enjoyment. Wetlands are ideal places to hunt, watch wildlife, take photographs, relax and . enjoy nature. Society as a whole is gaining a better understanding of wetland functions and values. Wetland legislation has begun to initiate language that Would allow land -use planners to evaluate the merits of a wetland filling or draining project based on the overall quality of the basin, not simply the acreage of the impact. It is important to note the differences between wetland functions and wetland values. Wetland functions are physical, chemical and biological processes of wetlands that are vital to the integrity of the wetland system, and operate whether they are viewed as important to society. Examples of wetland functions include ground water recharge or ground water discharge abilities, flood water retention abilities, nutrient removal abilities, and aquatic plant /wildlife diversity. Wetland values, on the other hand, are wetland attributes that are not necessarily important to the integrity of the wetland system itself, but are perceived as valuable to society. Examples of wetland values include recreational • opportunities, the wetland's unique biological or histori- cal significance, and aesthetic importance. Wetland function and value assessments tend to be somewhat controversial among social groups and geographical locations. Few attempts have been made to place dollar amounts on a unit of wetland, partly because many values are intangible, and partly because technical aspects are insufficiently understood to allow an economic analysis. However, land -use planners and wetland managers will need to look closer at the functions and values a particular wetland serves within its water- shed or ecological region in order to best maintain the integrity of our aquatic resources.