Wetland Loss: Modeling Consequences for Waterfowl Production, Recreation Use, and Economic Opportunities
Amendments to the Clean Water Act in 1972 established federal jurisdiction over “navigable waters,” defined in the Act as the “waters of the United States.” A revised definition of the Waters of the U.S. rule took effect on 20 March 2023. However, various legal challenges precluded implementation of the new definition. On 25 May 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Sackett et ux. v. Environmental Protection Agency et al., provided important clarification to this rule. As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are developing amendments to the 'Waters of the United States’ rule consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision.
One outcome of the Supreme Court decision was revocation of federal protection afforded to geographically isolated wetlands. Geographically isolated wetlands do not possess a surface connection to navigable waters. One type of these geographically isolated wetlands is depressional wetlands called prairie potholes, which formed as ice age glaciers retreated and left divots in the landscape that fill predominantly via rain and groundwater rather than streams. Prairie potholes in the Great Plains of the north-central U.S. and south-central Canada are crucial for duck reproduction, so much so that the Prairie Pothole Region is called the ‘duck capital’ of North America.
At the request of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the USGS examined the potential consequences of wetland loss that may now result because of the removal of protections to geographically isolated wetlands such as prairie potholes. This research examined plausible scenarios of wetland loss similar to what is seen in the Canadian Prairie Pothole Region which currently lacks wetland protections. These scenarios describe a baseline loss rate, i.e., the rate occurring now, as well as three heightened levels of wetland loss (Low, Medium, High). Then, using published relationships of the number of duck pairs per wetland area for a dozen different species of ducks nesting in the Prairie Pothole Region, the number of ducks likely to be lost as wetlands are lost was estimated.
Ducks in the Prairie Pothole Region depart in fall to overwinter in the southern U.S. whereupon they are subject to harvest by duck hunters as well as viewing opportunities by bird watchers. For each scenario of wetland loss, using associations between duck abundance and the number and activity of duck hunters and bird watchers, the amount of recreational activity lost was estimated for two regions in the U.S.: the Central and Mississippi Flyways. Loss of recreational activity as a consequence of wetland loss was translated into amount of lost economic opportunity.
Amendments to the Clean Water Act in 1972 established federal jurisdiction over “navigable waters,” defined in the Act as the “waters of the United States.” A revised definition of the Waters of the U.S. rule took effect on 20 March 2023. However, various legal challenges precluded implementation of the new definition. On 25 May 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court, in the case of Sackett et ux. v. Environmental Protection Agency et al., provided important clarification to this rule. As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are developing amendments to the 'Waters of the United States’ rule consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision.
One outcome of the Supreme Court decision was revocation of federal protection afforded to geographically isolated wetlands. Geographically isolated wetlands do not possess a surface connection to navigable waters. One type of these geographically isolated wetlands is depressional wetlands called prairie potholes, which formed as ice age glaciers retreated and left divots in the landscape that fill predominantly via rain and groundwater rather than streams. Prairie potholes in the Great Plains of the north-central U.S. and south-central Canada are crucial for duck reproduction, so much so that the Prairie Pothole Region is called the ‘duck capital’ of North America.
At the request of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the USGS examined the potential consequences of wetland loss that may now result because of the removal of protections to geographically isolated wetlands such as prairie potholes. This research examined plausible scenarios of wetland loss similar to what is seen in the Canadian Prairie Pothole Region which currently lacks wetland protections. These scenarios describe a baseline loss rate, i.e., the rate occurring now, as well as three heightened levels of wetland loss (Low, Medium, High). Then, using published relationships of the number of duck pairs per wetland area for a dozen different species of ducks nesting in the Prairie Pothole Region, the number of ducks likely to be lost as wetlands are lost was estimated.
Ducks in the Prairie Pothole Region depart in fall to overwinter in the southern U.S. whereupon they are subject to harvest by duck hunters as well as viewing opportunities by bird watchers. For each scenario of wetland loss, using associations between duck abundance and the number and activity of duck hunters and bird watchers, the amount of recreational activity lost was estimated for two regions in the U.S.: the Central and Mississippi Flyways. Loss of recreational activity as a consequence of wetland loss was translated into amount of lost economic opportunity.