Many wetlands are even being used to dispose of housing and industrial waste. Wetlands need to be preserved from further destruction, because wetlands play an essential role in our environment for their functions and diversity. Wetlands provide for unique experiences for those who choose to interact with them. Below is a graph which shows just how much of the original wetlands in the United States have already been lost. A wetland is a general term for areas in which water covers the ground either at or near the surface of the soil for varying periods of time throughout the year.
Wetlands occur in a variety of areas.
Some occur in areas where surface water collects by underground water discharging to the surface, thus making the area wet for an extended period of time. Other wetlands occur along the coastlines, created by tides. Wetlands are located throughout the entire United States. They are found in both coastal and inland regions. Each region, however, has its own unique type of wetland, because wetlands vary in water levels in different regions.