9377 ‎(2)‎

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 9377
• Author: Colorado Water Workshop.
• Title: 16th Annual Colorado Water Workshop.
• USFW Year: 1991.
• USFW - Doc Type: Western State College.
• Copyright Material: NO

Colorado Wetland Policy Options Assessment
Presentation to the Colorado Water Workshop
Western State College
July 23, 1991
Page 2
percent of the wetlands which existed 200 years ago. Similarly,
it has been estimated that wetland resources in urban and rural
areas continue to be drained or filled at a rate of up to 5000
acres/year, and this has raised concern that greater care should
be taken to understand the consequences of further losses.
Such estimates may be highly imprecise,,and they stimulate
considerable debate among the experts. They are offered here as
the only estimates available, and because they suggest that
wetlands are relatively scarce in Colorado.
Although there has been relatively little professional
research and documentation regarding the functions served by
wetlands in Colorado, there is a wide variety of functions which
have been demonstrated in other states. At this point, it
appears to be very reasonable to assume that wetlands in Colorado
serve similar functions. The following paragraphs describe the
more highly valued and best documented functions which have been
associated with wetland resources.
Food and Habitat. Especially in dry years and dry climates,
the availability of water in wetland areas sustains a high level
of plant productivity. In addition to the animals which may
inhabit the wetland environment, the food production value for
livestock and wildlife is often much higher than surrounding
upland sites. The food production value in a wetland area
frequently extends from the beginning of the food chain (i.e.,
the "producers") through many levels of "consumers," to the other
end of the food chain (i.e., the "decomposers").
Water Quality Improvement. Wetlands also have a
demonstrated ability to retain certain water pollutants,
including suspended solids, dissolved :petal compounds, and
disease-causing microorganisms. Some pollutants are trapped
temporarily and released slowly over a longer period of time,
while others are permanently trapped and/or converted through
biochemical processes to less harmful substances. By reducing or
temporarily delaying the release of nutrients, wetlands may
prevent excessive algal growth in reservoirs and lakes during the
spring, when nutrient availability from other sources is
typically high. As a result, wetlands have been successfully
used in the secondary treatment of sewage effluent, and there is
experimental data indicating they may be useful in the treatment
of acid mine drainage, which is a common problem in Colorado.
Reduction and Retention of Peak Runoff. Many wetlands have
a substantial short-term water storage capacity, acting much like