To the untrained eye, wetlands such as swamps, ponds, marshes and bogs, look pretty ordinary. It’s easy to take them for granted or see them as wasted land that could be drained and put to better use. But wetlands are very special places that are teeming with life and they provide many benefits to human communities. Above: Even in winter wetlands are teeming with life, above and below the ice. All photos by Grant Dobson
Wetlands teem with life because they are places where water, “the elixir of life,” and land are in close contact. Water permeates wetlands or even submerges them in the case of ponds and marshes. Shallow wetland waters are ideal habitats for many water loving plants. Detritus from these plants accumulates in the water and soil and creates a nutrient-rich feeding ground for a wide variety of birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles, fish and mammals.
Many beautiful wildflowers are specially adapted to grow in wetlands. Examples include Bottle Gentian, Cardinal Flower, Blue Flag Iris and Swamp Milkweed. With our attention turned toward this abundance of diverse life, we start to see the beauty in wetlands and our appreciation is kindled.
But wetlands offer much more to appreciate than abundant life and pretty wildflowers.
Wetlands are masters of flood control and drought prevention. They have an enormous capacity to soak up and hold water during snowmelt and rainstorms thus preventing erosion and flooding. They absorb huge quantities of water like giant sponges and then release it slowly later during dry conditions. Wetlands also allow water to seep and spread underground, recharging groundwater supplies.
Wetlands clean and purify water. When fast-flowing storm runoff enters a wetland it is slowed down by the vegetation and it drops its sediment load. Plants and microorganisms in the wetland soil act as living filters and remove nitrogen and phosphorus, preventing them from causing harmful algal blooms downstream. Wetlands also detoxify pathogenic bacteria and remove drug residues.
Wetlands provide homes to some of the Ottawa Valley’s endangered species including Blandings Turtles, Least Bitterns and Western Chorus Frogs. And they are important stopping places for many migratory bird species. Wetlands are also great places for humans to enjoy time in nature whether fishing, hunting, foraging, birdwatching, paddling or boardwalk strolling.
A very important benefit of wetlands is their role in regulating the climate. Recent research in the Canadian prairies showed that large intact wetlands can cool the surrounding atmosphere by a few degrees and reduce the duration of heatwaves. They do this by absorbing heat, evaporating water and seeding clouds. Wetlands, especially peat bogs, also contribute to climate regulation by acting as carbon sinks. When wetland plants die and fall to the bottom they don’t break down as quickly as they would in a forest. The carbon in the plant residues accumulates and is stored in the wetland soil.
Imagine for a moment gliding silently through a marsh in a birchbark canoe, brushing past plants and flowers while butterflies flutter by, dragonflies dart around and turtles bask in the sun on half submerged dead trees. For thousands of years this is how Indigenous people inhabited wetlands, carefully harvesting food, medicine and building materials in ways that ensured the wetlands would continue to thrive. Wild rice and cranberries were two important foods they harvested. Cattails provided food, cordage, mat-making material and insulation (think cattail fluff!)
European colonizers who came to North America lacked an appreciation for wetlands. Their arrival coincided with the beginning of what some have called the “drain age” as vast acreages of wetlands were drained for farms, towns and extractive industries. Worldwide, it’s estimated that more than half of Earth’s wetlands have been lost this way. In Southern Quebec and Ontario the percentage of wetlands that have been lost to development is 70-90 percent by some estimates.
The good news is that the enormous value of wetlands is becoming more widely appreciated. Governments, NGOs and citizens groups are now working to protect and restore wetlands.
The Province of Quebec unanimously passed new legislation in 2017 to protect and restore wetlands in the province. It was the first Canadian province to do so and received well-deserved high praise from conservation organizations such as Ducks Unlimited Canada.
Ontario, by contrast, lacks sufficient protection for wetlands according to a November 2022 report by the province’s Auditor General. And a recent controversial bill to fast track housing development in the province downloaded wetland evaluation to municipalities that may not be equipped to do such evaluations. Some of the slack in Ontario is picked up by organizations like Ducks Unlimited Canada and Nature Conservancy of Canada that protect many wetlands in Ontario and across the country. Ducks Unlimited also recently funded a successful watershed restoration project on the Carp River in the west end of Ottawa.
We are fortunate that the Ottawa Valley still has many beautiful extant wetlands. Some can be visited by the public such as the Madawaska Valley’s own spectacular Conroy Marsh. Located at the junction of the Madawaska, York and Little Mississippi Rivers south of the village of Combermere, this large conservation reserve includes sections of marsh, fen and swamp. It is best visited by canoe or kayak.
Other Ottawa Valley wetlands that welcome public visitors include Cranberry Marsh in Deep River, Mer Bleue Bog and Stony Swamp in Ottawa, and Plaisance National Park on the Ottawa River west of Gatineau, Quebec, “one of the most amazing protected areas” in Canada. A new project is underway to further protect a 29 km stretch of wetlands between Plaisance Park and McLaurin Bay in Gatineau. When complete, the Grandes Baies de l’Outaouais Wildlife Refuge will be the largest in Quebec, protecting 22 square kilometers.
An extensive list of “provincially significant wetlands” in Renfrew County is available here. A detailed and thorough scientific description of wetlands with many beautiful coloured photos is this 1997 publication: Canadian Wetlands Classification System
About the author: Lynn Jones is a founding member of the Ottawa River Institute, a non-profit, charitable organization based in the Ottawa Valley. ORI’s mission is to foster sustainable communities and ecological integrity in the Ottawa River watershed.
About the photographer: Grant Dobson is a native plant expert and photographer who shares his photos on the View from Connaught Pond Facebook page.