The Role of Wetlands Introduction Eglin Air Force Base is the largest air force base in the free world, including 724 square miles of land area and about 130,000 square miles of controlled airspace overlying land and water. While fulfilling its mission, Eglin also manages its natural resources, acting as a steward to protect plants and animals for future generations. The base is home to a wide variety of plant and animal life specially adapted to Eglin's wetlands.
Wetlands are areas with periodically waterlogged soil.
About 7 percent of Eglin's lands, mostly flat bottomland or swamp areas, fit this category. At certain times of the year, these areas have standing water from a few inches to a foot or more in depth. In the past, the importance of wetlands was not well understood, and wetlands were often regarded as wastelands to eliminate or avoid. Largely because of these views, over half of our nation's original wetlands have been drained or filled and no longer function as wetlands. Farms, housing developments and industrial sites now stand in former wetlands.