Lakes, ponds, rivers and streams are easily recognized as are the opportunities that they offer for recreation and wildlife habitat. However, they also provide flood storage, may be uesd as water supplies and provide sedimentation control. Actually these areas are extremely valuable and their removal may have immediate harmful effects on both the adjacent uplands and any nearby, more popular lakes and streams. Marsh and swamp areas provide flood storage and wildlife habitat as well serving as a natural filtering system. The flood storage functions of marshes and swamps are fairly obvious, particularly in the spring when they store snow melt and early spring rains.
Wildlife habitat is a function that is common to all natural areas.
What sets marshes and swamps apart is the tremendous diversity of habitat types they provide which in turn support a wide range of wildlife. Scrub shrub areas may support a variety of birds, insects, amphibians and small mammals. Many species of ducks nest in marsh grasses near the waters edge, young fish hide among the lily pads and arrowweed stems to avoid predators, and frogs and salamanders leave clusters of eggs in shallow water among the grasses and rushes. Emergent vegetation also makes up a large portion of the diet of moose and beaver. The filtering functions of wetlands are the most likely to be overlooked by the casual observer.