California has lost over 90 percent of its wetlands due to human activity and other factors like climate change.

One by one, wetlands are rapidly disappearing not just in California but throughout the entire nation. But what is a wetland and why should we care if it is conserved or destroyed? Wetlands are areas of land that are either seasonally or permanently saturated with water and much like rainforests and coral reefs, they are crucial to the health of our environment and communities.

One of their most important functions is to filter, clean and store water, acting like kidneys for surrounding ecosystems. They also absorb excess water, nutrients, sediments and pollutants preventing damage to rivers, lakes and even loss of valuable property and lives. Their unique habitat provides precious resources like food, water and rest stops for an impressive diversity of animals and plants. Economically, they are very beneficial to us by offering resources for recreation, energy and food production and other benefits including improving water quality, flood control and maintaining flows of water during dry periods. Wetlands are ultimately a vital tool of our watersheds that connect our land to the one thing we all can’t live without, WATER. Water is also the one thing wetlands can’t live without. Without water they lose their ability to sustain life, to clean waterways and to remain a fundamental part of our ecosystem.

One of the last remaining wetlands in California, the Salton Sea, is dangerously close to losing its water. The Salton Sea sits next to millions of people and is home to a thriving biodiversity of fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, plants and birds migrating from all over the world. If we conserve and improve its water quality, the Sea is capable of supporting approximately 40,000 acres of wetland habitat along its shores.

Countless animals including threatened and endangered species like the Desert Pupfish and Yuma Clapper Rail depend on this critical habitat for survival. If the Salton Sea continues to lose its water it will lose its value as a wetland; it will lose its natural beauty, it will lose all of its potential for recreation and economic growth, and cause an environmental and public health disaster. California has already lost over 90 percent of its wetlands. We cannot afford to lose this one.