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What are Wetlands?
Wetlands are defined as lands that are saturated with water
long enough to cause the formation of waterlogged (hydric)
soils and the growth of water-loving (hydrophytic) or watertolerant
plants. (PDF 4.5 Mb)
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Wetlands are Important
Surface water runoff from cities, towns, roads, agriculture, mining
and forestry operations may contain sediments, excess nutrients,
viruses and pathogens and/or a variety of chemicals. If this runoff
flows through a wetland, the wetland acts like a filter to remove
sediments, absorb nutrients and biologically change many
chemicals into less harmful forms. (PDF 2.0 Mb)
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Significant Wetlands and the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System
Provincially Significant Wetlands (PSWs) are those areas
identified by the province as being the most valuable. They are
determined by a science-based ranking system known as the
Ontario Wetland Evaluation System (OWES). (PDF 1.1 Mb)
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Wetland Restoration
Ontario is home to approximately 24% of Canada’s wetlands
and 6% of the world’s wetlands. Estimates of wetland extent in
Ontario range from 24 million to 29 million hectares, or
22-27% of the area of the province. (PDF 1.5 Mb)
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Wetlands in a Watershed Context
A watershed is an area of land that drains into a common body
of water, such as a river or lake, though they include more than
just water. The principle of “everything is connected” is clearly
evident in a watershed, as it involves water and any other natural
feature or function that affects or is affected by water. This
includes streams, lakes, wetlands, forests, soil, plants and animals.
(PDF 1.7 Mb)
