Because wetlands slow the flow of water down, they are able to filtrate it. Without that momentum, the water travels around plants and vegetation more slowly. As a result, suspended sediment drops out of the flow.
After being slowed by a wetland, water moves around plants, allowing suspended sediment to drop out and settle to the wetland floor.
Nutrients from fertilizer applications, manure, leaking septic tanks and municipal sewage that dissolve in the water are often absorbed by plant roots and organisms in the soil.
Other pollutants stick to soil particles. In many cases, this filtration process removes much of the water’s nutrient and pollutant load by the time it leaves a wetland.
This natural cleansing helps to keep pollution, toxins and nutrients out of the water system. water overloaded with nutrients is susceptible to algae bloom, which can be very destructive to plant and animal life
Functions include protecting and improving water quality through their natural filtration process, providing fish and wildlife habitats, storing floodwaters, and maintaining surface water flow during dry periods.
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