Title

A Study of Natural and Restored Wetland Hydrology

Document Type

Article

Peer Reviewed

1

Publication Date

5-1999

Abstract

Wetlands recently have received political and scientific attention because of their known benefit to the environment. For example, wetlands decrease the effects of flooding by storing large quantities of water in porous streambank sediments and low-lying areas. Extensive flooding in some areas of the United States has been attributed in part of the loss of wetlands (Fretwell and others, 1996). Wetlands also have been shown to improve waters quality by filtering out fertilizers and pesticides. The organic-rich sediments of wetlands, produced by decaying plant mass, attract and bind other contaminants as well; many communities nationwide are constricting wetlands to enhance sewage-treatment systems.

As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ecosystem Restoration Initiative grant, a joint U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) study is looking at the hydrology of a natural wetland (the LaSalle Fish and Wildlife Area) and a restored wetland (the Grand Kankakee Marsh County Park). Project investigators are examining and comparing the relations between hydrology and vegetation in the natural and restored wetlands while testing innovative methods to identify the analytical tools best suited for evaluating the success of wetland restoration.

Comments

A paper copy of this report was donated to Olivet Nazarene University by the Black family. It gives information from USGS about the restoration of the Grand Kankakee Marsh.

Benner Library's Digital Initiatives staff found the original content online and is providing a link to that source.

J.R. Black was an advocate for the conservation of the Kankakee River and spent many years collecting data and working with multiple organizations to preserve the Kankakee River Valley.

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Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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