Think of Lake Erie now and compare it to Lake Erie Twenty years ago. Think of the jobs created in the aquatic sports and fishing industry over the past twenty years. Just add up the money that was made from just the sale of boats alone. Needless to say maintaining clean streams and the riparian zones necessary to protect the streams provides an economic return many times over. Downed trees and natural debris should be left in streams for at least two reasons.
Many reasons exist for maintaining wetlands along streams.
The wetlands help to slow the rate of water entering a stream after a rain storm. This helps to prevent erosion in the stream and it helps to prevent flooding along the stream. It is excellent habitat for organisms that depend on the stream for water and the habitat provided by the wetland provides a safe haven for the animals. No, this is inaccurate. We know that streamside vegetation acts to absorb rainwater, which is then slowly released from the vegetation to streams over long periods of time.