Can Artificial Drainage of Wetlands Have Detrimental Effects on the Characteristics of the Soil?

Introduction: There are many types of wetland soil. They range from the Arctic to the tropics. They can be mineral or organic, seasonal or year-round, sea or freshwater. What they have in common is that they were full of water for at least a year. This saturation has an important influence on soil properties such as biota, chemistry and physics. However, over the past century more than half of all US wetlands have been used for other purposes such as agriculture and construction.

Surface drainage is common in areas with vast wetlands such as coastal areas, rivers, some frozen lake views. Construction of artificial drainage systems in these areas is very extensive as wetland conditions usually create deep and rich organic soils that are very valuable for agriculture. Glacial topography in the upper part of the Midwest - In the country's most extensive artificial drainage section, it is estimated that more than 50% of the original wetlands were destroyed. Even in Iowa state alone, the damage rate exceeds 90%. Some wetlands were destroyed by filling, but most of them were destroyed by drainage.

Wetlands may not be an obvious solution for managing flood risks than engineering investments such as dams, dams, flood embankments, drainage systems. However, it can be traced back to the worldwide experience, and more recently to the first century, but as the city faces this challenge it shows that wetlands should be part of the solution portfolio I will. In urban areas, urban wetlands are part of a portfolio that blocks rain and absorbs it, allowing more water to flow slowly into soil and groundwater, and reduces outflow to rapid waterways.