A converted wetland is one that has been
drained
''Drained'', (Portuguese: ''O Cheiro do Ralo'') is a 2006 Brazilian dark comedy film based on a novel by Lourenço Mutarelli. It was directed by Heitor Dhalia, and stars Selton Mello. The film was produced by Geração Conteúdo, Primo Filmes & ...
,
dredged
Dredging is the excavation of material from a water environment. Possible reasons for dredging include improving existing water features; reshaping land and water features to alter drainage, navigability, and commercial use; constructing da ...
, filled, leveled, or otherwise altered for the production of an
agricultural commodity.
The definition is part of The Highly Erodible Land Conservation and Wetland Conservation Compliance provisions
[ ] (
Swampbuster) introduced in the 1985 Farm Bill (also known as
The Food Security Act of 1985). The provisions aim to reduce
soil loss on
erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is dis ...
-prone lands and to protect
wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...
s for the multiple benefits they provide.
Description
Under the
swampbuster program, converted wetlands are
wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...
s that were drained or altered to improve
agricultural production
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
after December 23, 1985, the date swampbuster was enacted. On lands with this designation, no
drainage maintenance and no additional
drainage
Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess of water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils is good enough to prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic condition ...
are allowed.
Lands converted before December 23, 1985, are called ''prior converted wetlands'', and alterations to these lands are subject to less stringent requirements. Under swampbuster, there are no restrictions on either drainage maintenance or additional drainage on prior converted wetlands, which are estimated to total more than .
Approximately 48 US states have lost an estimated 53 percent of their original wetlands in the past 200 years. It is estimated that 87 percent of wetland conversions from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s were due to
agricultural conversion
Land development is the alteration of landscape in any number of ways such as:
* Changing landforms from a natural or semi-natural state for a purpose such as agriculture or House, housing
* subdivision (land), Subdividing real estate into Lot (re ...
. The wetland conservation provisions have reduced wetland conversions and have helped preserve the
environmental functions of wetlands, such as
flood control
Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water level ...
, sediment control,
groundwater recharge
Groundwater recharge or deep drainage or deep percolation is a hydrologic process, where water moves downward from surface water to groundwater. Recharge is the primary method through which water enters an aquifer. This process usually occurs ...
, water quality, wildlife habitat, to name a few.
See also
*
Agricultural expansion
Agricultural expansion describes the growth of agricultural land (arable land, pastures, etc.) especially in the 20th and 21st centuries.
The agricultural expansion is often explained as a direct consequence of the global increase in food and en ...
*
Groundwater-dependent ecosystems
*
Wetland conservation
Wetland conservation is aimed at protecting and preserving areas where water exists at or near the Earth's surface, such as swamps, marshes and bogs. Wetlands cover at least six per cent of the Earth and have become a focal issue for conservation ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Converted Wetland
United States Department of Agriculture
Wetland conservation in the United States
Ecological restoration