Unfortunately, most people don't know or worry about floodplains. The Army Corps new proposal will limit developers' ability to get easy permits in floodplains and make it harder to destroy wetland acreage, contribute to irresponsible sprawl, water pollution and critical habitat destruction. Developers and other interested parties such as roadbuilders, oil, mining and power companies would not get these easy permits to pave over critical wetlands in 100 year floodplains except in small streams below 5 cubic feet per second flow. In the past, the Army Corps has granted most permits without warning neighbors of flood risk, environmental or public review, or mitigating wetlands elsewhere. Home to waterfowl, wildlife and fish, wetlands naturally filter pollution out of our drinking water.
Wetlands also act like large sponges that soak up floodwater and reduce our flooding risk.
This year, experts warn that flooding may again exceed 100-year record levels. It is important to protect wetlands because they soak up rain and runoff and, after time, slowly release it. Nature's sponges, wetlands soften the blow from devastating floods and reduce flood peaks. Although millions of acres of wetlands nationwide have been lost to urbanization and agricultural conversion, partnerships among the Service, states, other Federal agencies, conservation groups, and private landowners are making progress toward reversing that trend. Developers and agribusiness destroy nearly 120,000 net acres each year, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates.