RWU NE-4153, USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Delaware, Ohio, USA
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Last updated: January 23, 2002	Contact: Anantha Prasad

Water/Wetlands: (Click image to enlarge)
trends38.JPG 31.52 KB		Trends in water use and wetlands - another area of phenomenal changes in this country.
trends39.JPG 88.44 KB		There was a linear relation between the U.S. human population and water use from 1950 to 1980, then a leveling off of water use. Still, water quantity issues will continue to grow as does the population, especially in the West. Herrmann R, Stottlemyer R, Scherbarth L. 1998. Water Use. Pages 63-87 in Mac MJ, Opler PA, Puckett Haecker CE, Doran PD. Status and trends of the nation's biological resources. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Va.
trends40.JPG 46.13 KB		Wetlands have been drained for over 200 years, and this shows the change in percent wetland over that time period. Dahl, T.E. 1990. Wetlands losses in the United States, 1780's to 1980's. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Washington, D.C. 13 pp. Turner MG, Carpenter SR, Gustafson EJ, Naiman RJ, Pearson SM. 1998. Land Use. Pages 37-61 in Mac MJ, Opler PA, Puckett Haecker CE, Doran PD. Status and trends of the nation's biological resources. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Va.
trends41.JPG 97.21 KB		The states in purple have lost at least 50% of their wetlands since 1780. 90% in Ohio, second only to CA with 91%. Dahl, T.E. and C.E. Johnson. 1991. Status and trends of wetlands in the conterminous United States, mid-1970's to mid-1980's. U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. Washington, D.C. Herrmann R, Stottlemyer R, Scherbarth L. 1998. Water Use. Pages 63-87 in Mac MJ, Opler PA, Puckett Haecker CE, Doran PD. Status and trends of the nation's biological resources. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Va.
trends42.JPG 91.04 KB		Most of the wetland loss has been to drainage for agriculture. Each dot on this map corresponds to 20,000 acres of artificially drained agriculture area. Dahl, T.E. 1990. Wetlands losses in the United States, 1780's to 1980's. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Washington, D.C. 13 pp.
trends43.JPG 97.11 KB		For every hour over a 200 year period, the lower 48 lost over 60 acres of wetlands per hour! The heaviest time of drainage was during the 1950-1975 period, when nearly a half a million acres were drained per year. Conversion rates have slowed since 1975, due to regulations and less 'suitability' of remaining sites. Current 'no net loss' policy not working well yet because the mitigation wetlands often do not have functionality of native wetlands. Most wetlands now are being lost to development rather than agriculture. http://www.fs.fed.us/pl/rpa USDA Forest Service. 2001. 2000 RPA assessment of forest and range lands. FS-687. USDA Forest Service. Washington, D.C. 78 pp.