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Home > Water Management > Water for the environment > Wetlands > Wetlands

Wetlands

Why Manage a Wetland?

Wetland management is important for a range of reasons. Wetlands are often cited as among the most productive ecosystems on earth, existing as multiple value systems. The functions and services provided by wetlands are many and varied.

Wetlands support high levels of biological diversity (variability among living organisms) and are therefore important on local, regional, national and international scales. NSW wetlands are estimated to support about 550 native plant species, 400 fish species and 194 animal species, some of which only occur in wetland habitats.

Wetlands contribute to the condition of water quality by removing nutrients and sediments and recycling chemical and organic matter. Wetlands assist with erosion control by binding and stabilising soils and dissipating surface flows.

Wetlands have the potential to mitigate floods, slowing and storing flows. This is particularly important for wetlands with limited outlets. Wetlands are also linked to groundwater.

Sometimes groundwater is the major source of water to a wetland. Likewise, wetlands can be a major source of recharge water to a groundwater system.

Wetlands are used as breeding grounds and nurseries for many animals including fish, birds and invertebrates. Coastal wetlands (eg mangrove swamps and salt marshes) are particularly important for many fish species and crustaceans, and are used by juvenile fish for protection from predators. Inland wetlands and floodplains are also used as nursery habitats by fish and invertebrates during seasonal floods.

Other uses of wetlands include recreational activities such as bird watching, canoeing, boating, fishing and bush walking. Scientific research is often undertaken in wetland areas, contributing to the general understanding of wetlands and how they interact with other ecosystems. Many wetlands are also of high cultural significance and are a focal point for various communities.

All wetlands have a combination of functions and values that maintain or enhance the natural environment, and many also have the potential to be utilised for grazing and cropping, urban development, fishing and treatment of water in a sustainable manner. Others are under threat due to drainage, development, loss or alteration of wetting / drying cycles and high exposure to pollutants and litter. Wetland management attempts to balance these needs in such a way that does not reduce or threaten the ecological integrity of the wetlands, and allows the natural functions and processes of wetlands to be maintained or enhanced.