How do wetlands help control flooding?
Wetlands play a vital role in controlling floods. Wetlands help to lessen the impacts of flooding by absorbing water and reducing the speed at which flood waters flow. Upstream wetlands can serve to store flood waters temporarily and release them slowly downstream. Along rivers, wetlands usually form natural pathways for flood waters from upstream to downstream points. If those pathways are altered or removed, flood waters can go elsewhere, potentially damaging property and threatening public safety. Without wetlands as a natural flood control mechanism, flooding can become more severe.
