Wetlands provide wildlife habitat and serve as natural filters for agricultural runoff.
Sloughs, potholes and marshes in low-lying areas are most common in Iowa. A wetland may have standing water year-round or may hold surface water for only part of the year. How it helps The many values of wetlands are only recently being fully understood and appreciated. They remove nutrients, pesticides and bacteria from surface waters and can act as efficient, low cost sewage and animal waste treatment practices. Wetlands filter and collect sediment from runoff water.