Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

clownslapnut t1_iwj7db9 wrote

Hopefully we will come to realize the importance of bringing back wetlands to dampen the effects of big rainfall events. The rate of trenching/breaking up wetlands in agriculture is compounding as equipment keeps getting larger and more advanced. There needs to be monetary incentives for landowners to keep wetlands, as controls to stop trenching are totally ineffective.

46

ian2121 t1_iwjd9st wrote

Wetlands are great for a host of reasons but have pretty minimal effect on flood storage. Most wetlands that have been destroyed haven’t been filed in they have been ditched and tiled which doesn’t affect flood storage volumes.

14

IdentityCrisisNeko t1_iwkwrhc wrote

I mean it’s less about storage and slowing the flow of water. Floods have gotten worse in our modern day in part due to climate change, but also the MASSIVE amount of impervious surfaces that move water far too quickly, backing up systems, and causing floods. Wetlands may not have great storage but they do a far better job at slowing water down than agricultural fields

4

willowtr332020 t1_iwlddfq wrote

The flooding referenced in the article (that of dams and their ability to pass flow) is not affected by wetlands.

Yes, impervious surfaces have increased but on a large scale, that's only really affecting cities with their storm water runoff. Flooding on the large scale we are seeing in Australia is not really exacerbated by the surface impermeability. River erosion and river roughness reduction due to vegetation clearing has had some impact, but the big change is the climate.

1

clownslapnut t1_iwjvf0j wrote

Trenching in our area is done for the reason of getting the water off the land as fast as possible. If water sits on our crop for any amount of time, it will perish. Not trenching means that we lose huge input expenses, so that is not economically feasible.

2