We now permit development of fewer than 100 wetland acres a year, from the approximately 300,000 acres of wetlands remaining in our state. Economic Wetlands act as a natural filter for our ground water supply, reducing the need for expensive investments in water purification. Wetlands also mitigate floods by absorbing water and releasing it slowly, which reduces costs that we might otherwise pay for insurance and clean up. Environmental Wetlands support a high density and diversity of native and migratory animal, plant and insect species. Many oceanic species rely on wetlands for some portion of their lives.
Wetlands are one of the state's largest repositories of biological capital.
Wetlands are also among the habitats most sensitive to disturbance. Birds and other species that rely on wetlands for habitat enhance our daily relationship with the natural environment. Although our drinking water has remained relatively clean, the amount of work necessary to make it clean has increased over the years as nature's services of cleaning the water have declined with the loss of wetlands and other ecosystems. Knowledge gaps These data are based on permits to legally alter and fill-in fresh water wetlands. Many small wetland developments fall outside of the regulatory process and are not reflected in the data.