Up to this point the wetlands jurisdiction has not been accepted by the courts and Congress. In 1977, the Corps issued a final definition that was consistent with the Federal district court's decision. For instance, how many realize that when they reach for a clear glass of water they can thank upstream wetlands, or that the Louisiana's shrimp on their supper table were protected, in part, by Nebraska's wetlands. Threats to water quality are many. Sediment can destroy water systems by burying the fish roe, stifling organisms and blocking sunlight to aquatic plants.
Bank erosion sloughs sediment into rivers, lakes and streams.
Nutrients like animal waste and fertilizer wash into waters, stimulating weed growth and algae blooms and disrupting the balance of life with disastrous results. Toxic chemicals and pesticides poison the natural systems, and pathogens threaten animal and human health. Wetlands can reduce or prevent these problems. Many wetlands slow and filter water reducing sediment and reducing erosion. Their soils can provide an anaerobic atmosphere which enhances the breakdown and the absorption of many toxic chemicals, nutrients, pesticides and pathogens.