The water area covers about 2500 sq. Linda Callaway, Creek's former Art teacher's, concept of the observation tower to be constructed. Since Colonial times, America's wetlands have been converted to other uses. As a result, of the estimated 215 million acreas of wetlands originally present within the contiguous United States, fewer than 95 million acrea remain. This is a result of many factors including urban and agricultural development and coastal erosion.
Wetlands have important ecological values and functions.
It is estimated that 80 percent of the Nation's coastal fisheries are dependent on wetlands for spawning, nursery areas, and food sources. Both coastal and inland wetlands provide essential breeding, nesting, feeding, and predator escape habitats for millions of waterfowl, other birds, mammals, and reptiles. Well over one third of the 564 plant and animal species listed as threatened or endangered in the United States utilize wetland habitats during some portion of their life cycle. Wetlands are also crucial to maintaining the hydrology of some watersheds. They serve as natural reservoirs and as ground-water recharge areas and are important in protecting the quantity and quality of ground water used as a source of drinking water.