Restoring our lost and degraded wetlands to

their natural state is essential to ensure the

health of America’s watersheds. Unless we

reverse the tide of wetland loss, the quality of

our waters will continue

to be threatened

and a part of our

natural heritage will be

lost. The quality of

America’s waters is

closely linked to the

integrity of America’s

wetlands. Over the past

200 years, wetlands

have vanished at an

alarming rate. More

than half of our nation’s

original natural wetlands

in the contiguous

states have been lost to agriculture and development.

Many of the wetlands that remain today

continue to be degraded. Such losses and

damage hamper wetland functions, such as

water quality protection, habitat for fish and

other wildlife, and flood prevention. Read

more about wetland and watershed restoration

at EPA’s web site at www.epa.gov/owow/

wetlands/restore.