Wetlands can store rainwater and slowly release it. Trees, shrubs, cattails, and other wetland vegetation help slow moving surface water. This combined action of storage and slowing can decrease floods and reduce the speed of the water flow thus diminish the water' s erosive potential. Wetlands can thus help control fluctuations in the rate and volume of surface water runoff and in so doing reduce flood damage and buffer shorelines against erosion. Wetlands provide opportunities for popular activities such as bird watching, hiking, fishing, boating and hunting.
Wetlands provide a wealth of natural products, including fish, lumber, wild rice, and furs.