They offer both aquatic and land-based habitat. Many plants and animals have adapted specifically to life within the wetlands including forty-one of California's rare and endangered species. Wetlands protect and improve the quality of water. The water passing through wetlands carries organisms, sediments, nutrients, and pollutants. The vegetation and soil in the wetland form a kind of sieve, trapping those materials and filtering the water.
Wetlands help to control soil erosion.
They act as natural tubs or sponges. Floodwater or surface waters collect in isolated depressions where they are stored and slowly released. Wetlands vegetation help stabilize slopes and slow floodwaters. The diversity of plants and wildlife combined with the aesthetic qualities found in wetlands attract large numbers of outdoor enthusiasts, including anglers, birdwatchers, hunters, photographers and boaters. Though appreciation for the benefits provided by wetlands has increased over the last years, wetlands are still being dredged, drained, and filled.