{"id":502,"date":"2018-05-29T20:39:20","date_gmt":"2018-05-29T20:39:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnhp.colostate.edu\/cwic\/?page_id=502"},"modified":"2023-04-02T12:21:06","modified_gmt":"2023-04-02T18:21:06","slug":"importance","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cnhp.colostate.edu\/cwic\/about-cwic\/importance\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Are Wetlands Important?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

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Why Are Wetlands Important?<\/h1>\n\t

Wetlands perform many essential ecological functions<\/strong> in Colorado’s watersheds, from water storage to wildlife habitat. One of the most important functions for Coloradans is the role of wetlands in providing clean water. Wetland vegetation acts as a filter or sponge for water and sediment that may contain heavy metals, pesticides or fertilizers. Many Colorado wetlands also provide water storage during floods, buffering Colorado’s working lands, cities and towns from flood damage.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\"Wetlands\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWetlands provide important wildlife habitat\n\t

By supporting clean water, and helping store water throughout the growing season, wetlands play a key role in providing water for agriculture and cities, as well as many of Colorado’s best-known recreational activities like hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, and rafting. Wetlands also provide critical wildlife habitat. In many areas of the Intermountain West, more than 80% of wildlife species depend on wetland and riparian areas at some point in their lives. In arid climates like Colorado, where evaporation often exceeds precipitation, wetlands are irreplaceable habitats for vast numbers of ducks, shorebirds, wading birds, cranes, and raptors that either breed or stopover in wetlands during migration.<\/p>\n\t

Colorado Wetland Functions<\/h2>\n\t

Wetlands provide a large number of functions across the state. We’ve provided summaries for some of the most well-documented wetland functions below.<\/p>\n

Click a link below for details.<\/p>\n