HomeDry Spell Helps Ontario Appreciate Wetland Values 
Barrie ON, Feb. 1 – If people in Ontario aren't stopping to celebrate the importance of wetlands on World Wetlands Day this February 2, they should be. This is the day the Convention on Wetlands was signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971. This agreement provided a basis for international cooperation in the conservation and wise use of wetland ecosystems. Wetlands are critical habitats that have almost disappeared in parts of Ontario and whether people know it or not, these important areas are being missed.
The spring of '99 was one of the driest in Ontario's recent history. Lack of rainfall in southern Ontario resulted in a slow start to crops for farmers. Many rural landowners noticed their wells dried up early because local water tables decreased rapidly during the short-term drought. Would wetlands make a difference? Ducks Unlimited believes they do.
"When people think of wetlands, they most often think of wildlife habitat,'' said Nick Kinkel, an agrologist with Ducks Unlimited Canada (DU). "While offering prime habitat is certainly important, wetlands are vital to the health and well being of people as well.''
Wetlands, the area where water meets land, can be thought of as living sponges. When rivers run full, wetlands hold the excess water and release it slowly and safely, maintaining ground water levels and avoiding the extremes that cause drought and flooding. This temporary storage of water also allows water to evaporate or to seep into the ground, replenishing the water table.
A healthy wetland, especially a large wetland or wetland complex, keeps spring melt waters on the land and may also contribute to local weather patterns by releasing moisture back into the atmosphere through evaporation.
The vegetation in wetlands has the ability to clean polluted water by removing excessive levels of nitrates and phosphates. This vegetation also slows the flow of surface water, reducing the amount of soil erosion that accompanies the flow of water.
Despite increasing awareness about the importance of wetlands, loss continues at a rapid rate. In some areas of southern Ontario more than 80 per cent of wetlands have been converted to other uses. At the same time, increased urbanization has resulted in a larger draw on the water table by households and industry.
Ducks Unlimited, through its wetland restoration program, works to restore degraded and drained wetlands for the benefit of waterfowl, other wildlife and people. Working in cooperation with landowners DU provides varying levels of expertise, manpower and financial contributions towards these projects.
For over 60 years, DU has conserved wetland and upland habitat for the benefit of North America's waterfowl, other wildlife and people. DU has invested over $62 million to conserve over 383,000 hectares (947,000 acres) of habitat in Ontario.
