FAST FACTS Ohio wetlands

Marshes, swamps, bogs and other wetlands offer many benefits. Wetlands clean water by straining sediments and pollution; control flooding by absorbing and slowly releasing storm water; provide important fish and wildlife habitat, acting as a nursery for rare and threatened species; and support hunting, fishing and other recreational activities.
Ohio is one of only eight states that have lost an estimated 80 percent of their original wetlands, draining and converting them to farmland, filling them for housing developments and industrial facilities, and even using them as dumps.
Source: Ohio Environmental Council