Drought In The Mississippi River Delta Wetlands

Wetlands provide fish and wildlife habitat. It supplies food water, along with areas that can be used for nesting or resting. Wetlands also act as a aquifer recharge and discharge area. They are able to recharge groundwater or excess groundwater is able to discharge into the wetland. Wetlands act as flood storage when rainfall and snowmelt leave an excess of water around and no place to go.

By the end of this report you should have a better perception on the geological landscape of Silver Creek Wetland Complex, and further in-depth knowledge on what stewardship responsibilities fall on you and your relationship with the land you use.

Baldwin swamp is an urban wetland, located in the heart of Bundaberg, providing a habitat to a range of organisms. The environment is rich in biodiversity; with more than 150 species of birds, variety of vegetation/plants as wells as creatures and mammals ranging from tiny aquatic wrigglers to bats, which have recently inhabited the area. Wetlands can be swamps, boys and or areas next to creeks. The Baldwin swamp can be best described as a network of ponds/swamps that channels into landscapes of grassland. This area has a significant ecological impact as the relationships among the organisms in relation to their food webs is vital to their survival. Abiotic factors such as humidity, soil, pollution, Ph levels, temperature, dissolved oxygen

The characteristic warming climate of the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene resulted in rising sea levels which contributed to the formation of the various deltas in the New Orleans area (Dunbar, Britsch, 2008). The natural formation of these deltas produced coastal wetlands that represent 30% of coastal wetlands currently in the United States (Cigler, 2007). In addition to these wetlands, the Mississippi River was surrounded by substantial forest growth (Pabis, 1998).

Giving full credit to restricting the Mississippi River as the culprit for loss of wetlands is not accurate. The booming oil and gas exploration of the 1970’s and 1980’s merits a name on the marquee as well. The pipelines and canals used to transport the resources to the outside world placed a great deal of stress on the fragile wetlands. Erosion from the barges in and out of the marshes as well as the salt water allowed into the fresh water, providing a precarious habitat for fresh water species – flora and fauna alike. Plants provide root systems to hold soil in place. Fish and fowl provide an economy for the area. Enter

Wetlands are a critical part of our natural environment. Since the Northern Harriers live by wetlands, wetlands are special because “They protect our shores from wave action, reduce the impacts of floods, absorb pollutants and improve water quality”-enviorment.gov. They provide habitat for animals and plants and many contain a wide diversity of life, supporting plants and animals that are found nowhere else. In this region you can find animals such as turtles, opossums, muskrats, beavers, raccoons, foxes, prairie dogs, lizards, small birds, foxes, and insects. In marshlands they can be found by lakes, streams, and swamps.

The wetlands does only help the wildlife and humans it helps from damaging property, Now you think I'm crazy but I'm not ok, now listen, wetland can help us by storm like hurricanes', floods, and many more. Take for example, in New Orleans, Louisiana, has suffered extremely consequence of the hurricane Katrina, one of the most powerful hurricane in the entire untied states history. Scientist believe that hurricane would did less damage if they had more wetlands, but in the 1800's they destroy the wetlands for more land and because the mosquitos that cause the yellow

These wetlands can be protected if humans reduce pollution amounts. Many wetlands are affected by pesticides and fertilizers, among other pollutants, clogging up the waters. Another thing which is harming wetlands is when people drain them or get rid of them to make way for open land. People can help by either joining a cause which preserves wetlands or by making sure rivers and streams become pollution-free zones so that the organisms living there can continue to survive.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is the primary agency that works to conserve, protect, and enhance the nation's fish and wildlife by providing sustainable healthy environments for future generations. It is through these three basic principles of ‘conserve, protect and enhance’ the USFWS is able to bring programs that both directly affect the health and well-being of migratory birds, fish and endangered species. In most cases it is through habitat protection that enables the USFWS to carry out these three principles. The Small Wetlands Program (SWP) is one such program that the USFWS utilizes to maintain the health of migratory birds in the United States.

Since 1930, over 2,300 square miles of wetlands have disappeared and recording about 23-25 square miles of wetlands are lost each year. “This is equivalent to losing a football field every thirty-eight minutes” (Losing Ground). Human and natural activities are at fault for the coastline destruction but human activities are the most responsible for having accelerated the amount of destruction. One major form of human activities that have hurt the coast was the construction of levees. Levees are man-made earthen hills that surround the Mississippi River, and many other bodies of water, and protect people from the natural flooding that occurs.

The loss of Louisiana coastal land is one of the most major factors in our environment today. Louisiana has already loss 1,880 square miles of land in the past eight decades. This problem is effecting the state funding to help solve the problem before the state lose more coastal land. Human disturbance has had a massive impact on the balance of wetland growth and decline. (Wilson, 2013). In order to stop this situation the state needs to have a stronger structural protection for the coast line. (Wilson, 2013).

Louisiana should be concerned about the wetlands because of the wildlife and fisheries. Without it, Louisiana would not be able to supply seafood and wildlife. Another concern, is the land going under and people could lose their homes. According to Allured and Martin, “the destruction of the wetlands came from the coastal and offshore oil and gas development” (p.332). Also, there is some thought that humans play a role in the destruction. According to Allured and Martin, “swamps symbolize as dark and chaotic places of the earth” and “marsh as a type of wet area that harbored disease” (p. 333). The importance of ascertaining the cause of the vanishing wetlands is to help restore the wetlands and protect from a hurricane

It also details conservative techniques which can be used to preserve the wetlands in Eastern South Dakota. The USDA in 2007 reported that during 2006-2007, South Dakota sought a 16 percent increase in acres of corn planted for the production of ethanol (quoted in Bouchard 2007, 59). Consequently, an increase in corn production could predict a scenario where wetlands begin to be used for agricultural purposes. The purpose of the wetlands has changed which will have a positive and negative effect on the economy and the environment. Environmentally, ecosystems are destroyed, while there is economic growth. The environmental and economic decisions on the wetlands change its purpose – demonstrating that the landscape is simply powerful because it can be

Louisiana is gradually declining in size due to the loss of coastal marshes and wetlands. After several years, Louisiana has a big probability of having no land whatsoever. The problem is slowly getting larger, and if something isn’t performed, soon enough Louisiana will be a place that only contains water. Regarding coastal erosions, it alters places economically, environmentally, and socially. Natural events happen that leads to the destruction of Louisiana’s wetlands; however, human activities causes it too.

I know this because in the passage it states “Wetlands along the southern coastlines of the United States serve as natural speed bumps to approaching hurricanes by starving them of warm ocean water and creating physical barriers to surging flood waters. However, in the last 100 years, the construction of levees and canals has turned thousands of square miles of wetland habitat into open water. This video from NOVA science NOW explores the importance of these critical habitats and examines the damage Hurricane Katrina caused to one stretch of Louisiana wetland (History 2010).