In honor of World Wetlands Day on February 2nd, here is a little bit of info about the wetlands in the Huron River watershed.

Huron River watershed wetland in Ann Arbor Township.
Huron River wetland in Ann Arbor Township.

Wetlands – Nature’s Kidneys

Wetlands, along with floodplains and shorelines, are critical environmental areas. Wetlands are saturated lowland areas (e.g. marshes and swamps) that have distinctive soils and ecology. Wetland areas filter flowing water, hold flood water, release water slowly into surrounding drier land, and capture carbon, thus reducing greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. These functions are critical to keeping the Huron River clean and safe for wildlife, drinking, paddling, fishing, and swimming. See our Wetland Page for more details.

The Huron River Watershed’s Wetlands

The Huron River watershed is home to many kinds of wetlands (the Michigan Natural Features Inventory lists 26 different kinds of wetlands that exist in our watershed!); including wet prairies, hardwood swamps, and bogs. Unfortunately, due to agricultural drainage and development, only about half of our wetlands remain.

Wetland Protection

With all the ecological services that wetlands provide it is important to keep them healthy and restore wetlands when we can. HRWC highly recommends that local communities enact wetland ordinances and building setback requirements to protect our remaining wetlands.

HRWC’s Natural Area Assessment and Protection Project maps and assesses wetlands and other natural areas to help target conservation efforts. Our Green Infrastructure programs work with communities to protect existing and create new wetland areas to restore the landscape’s ability to filter and control stormwater runoff. And our Change Makers program teaches residents how to engage with their local government and influence policies and decisions to protect wetlands.

What You Can Do

This blog was updated February 1, 2023.