Healthy and fully functional wetlands are essential to the health, beauty, and economic vitality of Maryland waters, Chesapeake Bay, and the lands around them. That includes streams, rivers, marshes, lake shorelines, and forested riparian buffers.


Wetlands are essential to the following functions:

• Filtering Pollutants — excess nutrients, sediments, and toxins
• Reducing the intensity of flooding, erosion, and stormwater runoff
• Providing Habitat — fish, birds, mammals, and plants; including rare, threatened, and endangered species
• Beauty, Recreation, Education, and Economic Activity

Maryland’s wetlands objectives include:

• No Net Loss of Wetlands
• Restoration of 60,000 Acres of Wetlands

Most regulatory agencies have their own variation of the technical definition of what constitutes a wetland. For our purpose we’ll stick to the commonsense approach that you’ll know a wetland when you see one. The three requirements for wetland status is that they hold water at least part of the year, is characterized by wetland soil types, and is characterized by vegetation adapted to wet environments.

Wetlands’ Functional Values

The functions of a wetland will vary depending on the wetland’s location, size, substrate, position relative to other water bodies, dominant plant species, and other factors. The variation in these factors means that every wetland has its own distinctive ecology. Altering a wetland in any fashion may compromise the ability of that wetland to deliver its benefits, and is thus afforded significant protection in Maryland.

Water Quality

Healthy wetlands directly improve water quality. Excess nutrients – predominantly nitrates from fertilizers and animal waste, as well as other waterborne chemicals such as phosphorous – drain from surrounding fields into wetlands. Calm wetland waters allow particles of toxins and nutrients to settle out of the water column. Fully functional wetland systems can dramatically reduce the amount of nutrients and pesticides that make it into Chesapeake Bay. Wetland plants and soils can absorb and benefit from nutrients that would be harmful in the Bay, and biological filtration can break down some nutrients and chemicals into less harmful substances.

Plants and trees are also very effective in sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, reducing greenhouse gases.

Flood, Erosion, and Stormwater Mitigation

Wetlands buffer coastal and river shorelines by intercepting and slowly releasing stormwater. Slowing the water flow rate reduces the severity of flooding, and erosion of river banks. When river banks erode, clear water becomes muddier, the water flow becomes wider and shallower, and water temperatures increase. All negatively affect habitat quality. And reducing the amount of sediment making its way into navigable waters may reduce the frequency of dredging.

Enhancing Wildlife Habitat

Wetlands provide crucial habitat for many wildlife species. Several fish and sea turtle species that live their lives in the ocean, return to inland streams to spawn and lay their eggs. The wetlands then serve as a nursery for fish, crabs, and shellfish, including Maryland’s legendary blue crab. And migratory ducks, geese, and other birds find food and protection within our wetlands.

Nationally, over one-third of threatened and endangered species are said to live in wetland environments. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that up to 43 percent of threatened and endangered species rely directly or indirectly on wetlands for their survival. Maryland recognizes 345 plants and 138 animals as endangered, threatened, or in need of conservation.

Beauty, Recreation, Education, and Economic Activity

Maryland wetlands are part of the natural beauty of the state, providing recreational opportunities and support tourism. In addition to fishing and hunting, wetlands support hiking, canoeing, photography, and more. Wetlands also provide exceptional educational and research opportunities because of the terrestrial and aquatic life cycle, and physical processes. Some forested wetland, mostly on the Eastern Shore of the Bay, support sustainable timber yields of Pine, Oak, and Red Maple.

Maryland’s Wetland Objectives

Since wetlands are crucially important to the health of the region, Maryland has made their protection of central importance. Wetlands still remain under constant pressure from natural processes, population growth and the attendant development. Rising sea levels of four – six inches per century, for instance, are slowly converting coastal freshwater wetlands into brackish and saltwater marshes. Maryland is attempting to direct new development into already developed areas and away from resource conservation areas. And where timber is harvested, considerable attention is given to requiring best practices to minimize disturbing forested wetlands.

Maryland is committed to a “no-net loss” policy for wetlands and ultimately, a “net gain” in wetlands across the State. Since the 1940s, during a period of explosive growth, Maryland lost approximately 60,000 acres of wetlands. Beginning in 1997 Maryland established to goal of restoring 60,000 acres of new wetlands.

Information presented in this article is believed to be accurate. However, legislation and enforcement are subject to change and interpretation. It is recommended that you contact your local government land use department in order to discern how regulations are enforced in your area. This information is presented without warranty.