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Vanishing Wetlands

Early settlers on this continent found the forests and grasslands interspersed with swamps, ponds, and marshes, and these wetlands were perhaps the most productive of all wildlife areas. But now 55% of America's wetlands have been drained and we still lose more than 400,000 acres of wetlands every year.

With the lost wetlands go fish, frogs, turtles, ducks, geese, herons, songbirds, muskrats, and more. Today the remaining wetlands are more important than ever to wildlife, especially to the migrating birds. They also serve as temporary storage areas for flood waters, aid in water purification, and help recharge the aquifers that we all depend on.