Ayum Creek. Jim Roberts.
We are dependent on water to live, but in BC, water speaks to us in a special way that impacts our experiences beyond survival. Water surrounds us and is a significant aspect of our national and provincial identity, be it oceans, salmon-bearing streams, or wetlands. Wetland systems sustain plant and animal life, improve water quality, mitigate flooding and drought, and moderate the warming effects of climate change. Wetlands are comparable to rainforests in terms of ecosystem productiveness and serve as an important carbon sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. The destruction of wetlands due to development pressures will continue to have strongly adverse consequences on our daily experiences. Although the drainage and development of wetland systems may provide short-term economic gain, the long-term fallout can be disastrous.
Clearwater Wetland. Torrey Archer.
Wetlands refer to land areas that maintain saturated soils throughout the seasons. While not all wetlands are permanently flooded and therefore the presence of water may not be strictly visible, the soil does not dry out. This permits the growth of wetland-adapted plants called hydrophytes which specifically grow in saturated soils. Wetlands also provide habitat for birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects who rely on wetlands throughout their lifecycles. The biodiversity supported by wetland systems contributes to the stability of the ecosystem as a whole, as a more diverse system offers greater resilience to disruptive changes. Wetlands can be identified as marshes, swamps, bogs, ponds, estuaries, and fens; the amount of water varies, as does the water source and the plant life they each sustain. However, one commonality is their ability to mitigate disastrous flooding events. Estuaries can prevent or reduce the effects of erosion as mats of plant roots resist wave energy while plant systems provide filtration for sediment and pollution load. Water is held by these systems and released slowly which reduces the devastation of a flood. A loss of wetland ecosystem stability has profound impacts, like uncontrolled flooding and sea level rise, which have been experienced with increased frequency over the last several years.
Clearwater. Torrey Archer.
Charters River. Rae Costain.
Wetlands serve as a component of watersheds. A watershed is an area of land that drains rain and snowfall, sediment, and other materials into a body of water. Geology, type of soil, and human land use of a watershed impact the quality of water that drains through it. Watersheds are complex systems; aspects include forest and meadow uplands, streams and rivers, wetlands, lakes, marine systems and estuaries, and the vegetation and soil which surrounds water systems. The function of a watershed is essentially the combined function of each component part. Rivers and streams circulate water and connect ecosystems, wetlands store and filter water, and various components provide wildlife, fish, and plant habitat. Because watersheds are made up of such extensive and interconnected systems, they may experience negative human influence at any point. Pesticides, fertilizers, and any toxic compounds absorbed into one part of the watershed quickly travel through the component parts. The impacts of this can pose serious environmental and health risks. For example, cow manure absorbed into a watershed could transmit E. coli bacteria into drinking water.
Ayum Creek. Rae Costain.
With the understanding that watersheds are connected to the activities of our daily lives, it is our responsibility to become stewards of these vital systems. TLC has worked to conserve a large portion of a wetland in Clearwater, and all of our conservation covenants are part of watershed systems. However, water does not recognize human-created boundaries. Gary Snyder writes, “From the tiniest rivulet at the crest of a ridge, to the main trunk of a river approaching the lowland, the river is all one place, and all one land.” In order for water to be conserved and protected anywhere it must be conserved and protected everywhere. By ensuring that chemical runoff from things like fertilizer in gardens and pollutants in car washing is minimized, disposing of toxic materials properly, and promoting the importance of our water systems we can ensure safe and abundant water for ourselves and for future generations. Get involved with the health of your watershed and learn more about stewardship with CRD.
Conserving Clearwater Wildlife corridor and wetland is an ongoing mission for TLC. We have successfully raised 84%of our fundraising goal! Please help us meet our final goal to protect this significant system. Donate today.
Rae Costain
Guest Editor
