Environmental Partners America's Important Wetlands Wetlands are one of America's most beautiful and valuable natural resources. Although every wetland is different, each offers similar ecological benefits. Wetlands provide spawning grounds for fish, and natural habitats for many types of plants and wildlife. Such regions also provide important environmental benefits by retaining storm water runoff, recycling water by filtering wastes, and recharging groundwater aquifers. Closer to home, they are a recreational resource used by millions of Americans each year for fishing, hunting, bird watching, hiking, and more.
Wetlands play a vital role in pollution control.
They trap, retard, or transform materials such as silt, pesticides, toxic metals, and organic matter. Here in Wisconsin , cranberry growers maintain and improve more than 60,000 acres of these valuable wetlands at no cost to the public. The Cranberry Wetlands Cranberry wetlands exist in only five states of the United States. These lands, located in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin, all provide the unique environment necessary for cranberry plants to flourish. In each location, ancient lake beds were formed when the glaciers retreated.