Numerous chemical and biological criteria are collected to determine condition of the river. Wetlands Wetlands are areas of land that typically are wet or flooded part of the year, have soils formed under wet conditions and support vegetation suited for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands are important because they improve water quality, provide flood protection, shoreline erosion control and habitats for fish and wildlife. Dearborn County is identified as having 4,000-6,999 acres of wetland which is less than the surrounding counties. This is primarily due to the size of the county as well as a function of many steep slopes.
Wetlands tend to develop in flat regions where water collects.
Ohio County has less than 4,000 acres. While Ohio County has notably less wetland area it also has much less total area. Information presented from the National Wetland Institute shows the location and classification of the wetlands in Dearborn County. Wetland mitigation Wetland mitigation is the creation or restoration of a wetland to counter the loss of wetland acreage and function. In January 1998, IDEM and EPA initiated a series of studies to evaluate wetland regulation and mitigation, identify potential problems and formulate solutions.