The National Park Service’s wetland protection policies prevent most new activities in parks from harming wetlands. However, there is substantial existing wetland degradation in parks from past or ongoing land use activities, and there are many other threats that the NPS and others are working to minimize. Here are some of the activities that threaten or have already damaged wetlands in national parks and elsewhere:
Roads, dikes and leveescan have damaging impacts on wetlands if they alter natural fresh water or tidal flow patterns or hinder movement of aquatic life. For example, Everglades National Park is working to restore water flow that has been diverted by canals and levees for many decades, and Cape Cod National Seashore plans to replace a tide-restricting dike near the coast with a new bridge that would reconnect the Herring River Estuary to the ocean.
Drainage ditches or canalsbuilt for agriculture, mosquito control or other purposes can alter wetland hydrology dramatically, even converting them to uplands. Assateague Island National Seashore, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Rocky Mountain National Park are among the many parks that have backfilled or plugged ditches or canals to restore wetlands.
Depositing fillfor development or other purposes destroys wetlands and can have offsite impacts by blocking flow or hindering movement of aquatic life. Channel Islands National Park in southern California and Cuyahoga Valley National Park in northern Ohio are two of the many parks that have removed fill to restore wetlands or “daylight” buried streams.
Pollutionsuch as oil spills near Gulf Islands National Seashore and airborne mercury or sulfur compounds at Acadia National Park and Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve can degrade wetlands and other aquatic habitats.
Non-native tamarisk and Russian olive trees have invaded the riparian zone at Canyon de Chelly National Monument.
Exotic plantslike tamarisk at Canyon de Chelly National Monument or common reed (Phragmites australis) at Gateway National Recreation Area can squeeze out native plants, alter or eliminate habitat for some wildlife species, and even damage cultural landscapes.
Nutria is an invasive species in Southern Louisiana.
Exotic animalslike the nutria, a large semi-aquatic rodent native to South America, can damage wetlands. Nutrias were imported to the U.S. for fur production, but they escaped captivity and quickly established large, wild populations in the marshes of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana and in other Gulf Coast wetlands. They burrow into banks and eat vast amounts of wetland vegetation down to the roots, which causes soil and bank erosion and alters plant communities. They also out-compete native mammals such as beavers, muskrats and mink.
Livestock grazing, unless managed carefully, can remove plants that stabilize streambanks and protect soils from erosion. This can damage some wetland types by causing channel formation and drainage, or can clog streams with sediment.
Groundwater withdrawalsfor water supply can lower water levels in some wetland systems, changing habitats for plants, fish or other aquatic life.
Locations:Bandelier National Monument, Valles Caldera National Preserve
Every time I venture on a new trail, I scan the mountains, looking for burn scars, trying to gauge the extent of the Las Conchas (2011) and Thompson Ridge (2013) fires. It’s one thing to study a color-coded map that shows severity and extent of the burns, it’s another to stand on a hillside among acres and acres of downed trees, then see similar damage miles away caused by the same fire.
They are back! The birds, bugs, and turtles are thriving. But this was not always the case. This is a story about transformations – of a toxic waste dump to a wild and species-rich ecosystem, and of a National Park Service (NPS) cleanup practice that ensures public lands are protected and restored when impacted by contamination, and that those responsible pay for the cleanup.
Locations:Antietam National Battlefield, Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Catoctin Mountain Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Greenbelt Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, Manassas National Battlefield Park, Monocacy National Battlefield, National Capital Parks-East, Piscataway Park, Prince William Forest Park, Rock Creek Park, Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Artsmore »
Habitat fragmentation is a major threat to amphibian communities, especially in National Capital Region parks at risk due to the region's growing urbanization.
Locations:Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park
The C&O Canal's Potomac Gorge area is rich with a wide variety of frogs and salamanders. From wood frogs and red-spotted newts to marbled salamanders and toads, these amphibians are part of what makes the Potomac Gorge (the area around Great Falls) a unique and treasured place.
Locations:Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
While Hopewell Culture National Historical Park is known for its incredible collection of prehistoric earthworks and artwork created by the Hopewell culture, the park is also home to a wide array of flora and fauna. Read more about some of the smallest inhabitants of this national park site.
Locations:Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Point Reyes National Seashore
October 27, 2018, marked 10 years since the levees were removed as part of the Giacomini Wetlands Restoration Project, a collaborative effort between Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. One of the goals of the restoration project was to shift vegetation communities at the site from dairy pasture to tidal salt and brackish marsh. We also hoped to see an increase in native plant-dominated communities. Overall, it has been a success.
Celebrate the importance of water on World Water Day, March 22. Have you ever wondered how water shapes national parks? Or what animals rely on water for habitat?
Mount Desert Island is a watery place, thanks in part to the presence of beavers.
Today, few visitors are likely to encounter a beaver. But many visitors –- as they experience a watery landscape vibrant with life -- enjoy the influence of beavers in Acadia.
Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail
Locations:Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail
Belle Isle State Park is an 892-acre park in Lancaster County, Virginia that spans across seven miles of shoreline on the Rappahannock River. The expansive park allows for many recreational opportunities, including hiking, biking, horseback-riding, camping, wildlife watching and more.
