The streams, the bogs, and the marshlands of Central New York are important to both wildlife and to our drinking water. World Wetlands Day, February 2, shed light on the need for protection of these important areas.
There are all kinds of wetlands across Upstate New York. One group raising awareness about the need to maintain them is The Nature Conservancy. Freshwater resilience specialist Olivia Green said wetlands perform a critical cleansing function, "as nature's kidneys. They help clean the water. When polluted water goes into a wetland, the soils hold onto water, ... and when water is slowed down, that sediment can fall out. ... But also the plants that are in the wetlands are taking up some of what we consider a pollutant, but they're nutrients. It's phosphorus, it's nitrogen, things that the plants need.”
This would be important for any body of water. But Green pointed out that in our region wetlands are cleansing water that runs into the lakes that provide a large portion of drinking water.
The Nature Conservancy in New York has purchased lands to preserve such areas. These are often far away from a lake, but still in the watershed, for example, headwaters of a small creek. If protected, they help keep the drinking water source clean.
One project focused on Owasco Lake, which has had "harmful algal blooms, like many of the Finger Lakes. They are getting more and more toxic," explained Green. "They're being triggered and sustained by the excess nutrients that are in the water. We thought, can we protect land in a way that is protective of drinking water?"
As a science-based organization, they studied properties int eh watershed of the lake. "we ended up protecting six parcels. And they are, almost all of them are about as far away from Owasco Lake as you can be and still be in the watershed," Green said.
Property that drains into small streams or other waterways eventually sends water through all manner of wetlands.
"They are sort of protecting the ingredients that end up being that lake water, right?," said TNC Freshwater Scientist Kathy Gibson. "So, if you put in rotten spinach in your soup, it's not going to taste very good, right? So, you want to start with that sort of like clean drinking water at the beginning at the headwaters of our watershed so that it can flow into the lake and still be clean when it gets there. So, it's kind of protecting ... your drinking water source."
Gibson suggested laws and regulations that protect wetlands from development, such as the rules that required Micron to replace wetlands its project will fill in,
are important for preservation, but also to avoid disasters.
“We want to ensure that when we develop, we're not developing in a way that's going to have long-term consequences for that development, but also for others downstream, said Gibson. "We know historically that the water goes back to where the water wants to go. Water always wins. And so it actually makes a lot of economic sense to not build in a wetland.”
Gibson and Green added that wetlands are also critical habitat for the breeding, migrating and feeding of all sorts of animals.
The Nature Conservancy is currently offering Climate Resilience grants to help communities preserve natural areas for water quality, wildlife and climate change.
The importance of preserving wetlands in the Finger Lakes Region:
(Source: The Nature Conservancy in New York)
- Around Owasco Lake, the primary drinking-water source for up to 50,000 people, TNC has partnered with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation since 2018.
- More than 600 acres have been conserved, including over 200 acres of wetlands that naturally filter water and reduce flood risk, serving as hidden, cost-saving infrastructure.
- Protected wetlands and forests support wildlife habitat, improve air quality, and strengthen ecosystem health.
- Conservation efforts have expanded public access through new and enhanced nature preserves - but more is still needed at state policy level to guarantee ongoing progress.
