Clean Water

Run-off, pollutants and toxic blue-green algae are becoming larger threats as more and more wetlands are destroyed.

Scientists are uncovering the power of wetlands as natural water filters. Wetland vegetation traps sediment and pollutants, and wetland microorganisms break down the contaminants.

We need wetlands to regulate our water levels, too. Flooding and drought events are worsening as the wetlands that used to hold water are lost.

Wetlands loss means more water issues. But there’s hope. A continent-wide effort called Rescue Our Wetlands is using science, policy, education and on-the-ground conservation projects to fight for wetlands.

Together, we can save our water.

• Save wetlands on the Prairies, where wetland loss has contributed to algae and water quality problems.
• Bring sustainable practices to the boreal forest, which has the largest number of intact wetlands in the world.
• Restore wetlands along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence, where as much as 95 per cent of wetlands have been destroyed.
• Protect coastal wetlands that protect the land from erosion and provide essential fish and wildlife habitat.