Wetland Science    Technology    Economics    Regulatory Compliance Problems There. Solved Here.

Why is wetlands restoration so important?

While preservation of habitat is a key to environmental health, there is a growing awareness that restoration is essential to recover ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed. Wetland habitats are the focus of many restoration efforts because, over the past 200 years, the area and health of wetlands has declined significantly. Many wetlands altered by human activities were drained to support agricultural uses, while others were filled for urban development, diked for water impoundments or to diminish flooding, or dredged for marinas and ports. Indirect impacts from pollutants, urban runoff, and invasion by non-native species continue to degrade and destroy wetlands.  Scientists and policy makers also recognize the value of wetland restoration.

Some of the benefits wetlands provide include:  Healthy fisheries; Support for birds and other wildlife; High biological productivity; Biodiversity protection; Erosion control; Flood reduction; improved water quality; Aesthetics and recreation.  A primary goal of wetland recovery projects is to preserve and restore wetland benefits by reestablishing natural ecological processes.

The terms “restoration”, “creation”, and “enhancement” have been defined a variety of ways.

• Restoration - Returning a degraded wetland or former wetland to a pre-existing condition or as close to that condition as is possible.
• Creation - Converting a non-wetland (either dry land or unvegetated water) to a wetland.
• Enhancement - Increasing one or more of the functions performed by an existing wetland beyond what currently or previously existed in the wetland. There is often an accompanying decrease in other functions.

7Q10 has considerable expertise with Habitat Restoration and Enhancement projects and are highly respected by state and federal regulatory agencies, environmental interest groups, and private developers who are among some of our satisfied customers that include:

• Lakeside Conservancy (San Diego River Park)
• Port of Oakland, International Airport
• U.S Fish and Wildlife Service
• COSTCO Companies
• Nevada Department of Wildlife
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• Wingfield Springs
• The Tahoe Nature Conservancy