A restored wetland in Van Buren County, Iowa. Photographer: Lynn Betts. Photo Courtsey of USDA NRCS.
Category:  Wetland Creation/Restoration
Practice Type:  Structural
Landuse/Agriculture Type:  Row Crop, Pasture, Fodder, Rice
Climatic Zones:  Temperate, Semiarid, Tropical
Regions:  North America, South America, Africa, Asia
Pollutants Treated:  Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Sediment
N Efficiency1:  7-25%
P Efficiency1:  12-50%
S Efficiency1:  4-15%
Description: Wetland restoration activities re-establish wetland hydrology, vegetation and/or functions usually in areas where they existed previously. Wetlands improve water quality by traping and cycling nutrients and allow for settling of sediments. Wetlands also moderate water flows, reducing downstream erosion.
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Implementation Considerations: Wetland restoration can often be very expensive and outcomes can be uncertain. Restored wetlands may not achieve the same level of biodiversity or ecosystem services as undisturbed systems.
Scalable to small farms? Yes
Scaling Considerations: Can be combined with agroforestry practices to generate food, fiber or fodder crops.
1 "Documentation: Source Data, BMP Effectiveness Values." Chesapeake Assessment Scenario Tool. Web. 2013. http://casttool.org/Documentation.aspx .
2 Estimates of County-level Nitrogen and Phosphorus Data for Use in Modeling Pollutant Reduction Documentation for Scenario Builder Version 2.2." Chesapeake Bay. Dec. 2010. Web. May 2013. http://archive.chesapeakebay.net/pubs/SB_V22_Final_12_31_2010.pdf.