843H04001
Photo by Dennis Demcheck

Did You Know This
About Wetlands?

1. Wetlands are natural areas that hold
water, but they may not be wet all year
long.

2. There are different types of
wetlands, like marshes, bogs, fens and
swamps.

3. Each type of wetland provides food,
shelter and water for plants and
animals that need a watery home.

4. You can find more animals and
plants per acre in a wetland than in any
other kind of habitat.

5. Wetlands provide homes for many
 endangered species — types of
 animals, birds and fish that have
 almost disappeared.
6. Most of the fish and shellfish we eat
 live in wetlands when they are young.

7. Wetlands can be as small as a
wading pool or as large as a lake.

8. Wetlands on the coasts fill up and
drain twice a day because of the tides
from the ocean.

9. When rivers overflow, wetlands can
help control floods that damage
property.

10. Dirty water gets a good cleaning
when it flows through wetlands.

To learn more about wetla~nds,
call the Wetlands Helpline at 1-800-
832-7828 or visit the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency's
Wetlands Division web site:
www.eDa.gov/owow/wetlands
EFAS43-H-04-00]
            United States
            Enwonmeirtal Protection Agency

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