"Wetlands Provide $23 Billion in Flood Control Across Wisconsin and Midwest. But They're in Distress."
This article was originally published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and a portion of it is shared here with express permission from the author, Madeline Heim. Click this link to read the full article.
Wetlands save Wisconsin and the upper Midwest almost $23 billion per year that would otherwise be spent combating flooding, a new report has found. And that comes as the loss of wetlands has accelerated, and critical protections have eased.
The report, out Wednesday from the Union of Concerned Scientists, relies on a figure from a 2022 American Economic Review paper to come up with that total: that one acre of wetland provides $745 in flood control benefits to residential properties across the U.S.
Wisconsin is home to an estimated 6 million acres of wetlands, according to the state Department of Natural Resources, adding up to about $4.6 billion annually in natural flood mitigation, by the calculation in the report. The upper Midwest, which in the report also includes Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska, has about 30 million acres of wetlands.
Floods are the most common and most expensive natural disaster in Wisconsin, and are expected to get more frequent and severe because of climate change. The state has experienced four billion-dollar flooding disasters since 1980 — and as recent as this summer, severe flooding in northeastern Wisconsin caused Gov. Tony Evers to declare a state of emergency.
Wetlands are described by some as "nature's kidneys" because they filter sediment and pollutants that would otherwise get into rivers, lakes and streams. They slow flooding during large rain events by storing excess water and can also help in droughts by gradually releasing that stored water back into the water table. And they're important habitats — one-third of the country’s threatened or endangered species depend on wetlands for their survival...
Water Quality Grant Applications Due January 3rd
 Click the image above to view the WQIP Story Map, an overview of the program and past projects.
SWM is currently accepting grant proposals for projects aimed at improving the quality of the County’s streams and rivers. In its 25th year, the Water Quality Improvement Program (WQIP) grant awards 25% of funding for projects exhibiting a regional water quality benefit, such as green infrastructure, restoration and native plantings. Follow the link below to find everything you need to complete your application.
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