After storms, many wetlands augment summer stream flows by slowly releasing the stored water back to the stream system. Wetlands provide essential food chaing support to small organisms that in turn feed fish, wildlife and humans. Millions of waterfowl, shorebirds and other birds depend on wetlands for their food, cover and reproductive support. Wetlands are highly effective at removing nitrogen, phosphorous, some chemicals, heavy metals, and other pollutants from water. Wetlands can also provide opportunities for fishing, hunting, plant identification and wildlife observations.
Wetlands are often riparian areas and also act as fish and wildlife habitats.
In St. Helens, we have very little protection for our natural resources. The wetlands are protected by State and Federal regulations and usually can be mitigated. Simply put this means that we can literally fill in all of our wetlands and creeks. I am sure that our watershed contribution to the abutting rivers is in the same proportion as our population and city land area. But if we let the dust accumulate for a few weeks or the grease for a few weeks then we begin to see the undesirable impacts.