If we had to pay for sewer systems to do the same job, it would cost trillions of dollars. Wetlands are a critical habitat for waterfowl, shore and song birds, frogs and other amphibians, and about 5,000 species of plants. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that up to 43 percent of threatened or endangered species either live in or depend on wetlands for survival. Forested wetlands protect the economies of the Chesapeake Bay. They reduce nutrient loadings to the Bay, cutting down on fish-killing weed growth and algae bloom.
Wetlands are flood busters.
By acting as natural basins and sponges, they reduce costly flood damage and shore erosion, and help recharge groundwater reservoirs. Wetlands offer unparalleled recreational opportunities for hiking, boating, birdwatching, fishing, and hunting. That's why the Environmental Protection Agency works so hard to preserve our remaining wetlands and to move quickly to stop further destruction. St. Charles Associates - for the illegal destruction of approximately 70 acres of wetlands in Charles County, Maryland. The penalties were tough.