Across Wisconsin, birds need wetlands to thrive. Last week, the Wisconsin legislature unanimously passed SB 222, a big bipartisan victory for Wisconsin’s wetlands and the birds that depend on them! It’s now headed to Governor Evers’ desk for his signature.  

As the first state program of its kind, SB 222 will provide funding to encourage local governments to restore and conserve wetlands and undertake other proactive strategies before flooding events occur. Why is this a big deal? Wetland restoration is one of the best ways to tackle flooding. And flooding is becoming a bigger problem in Wisconsin as climate change intensifies.  

Wetlands Protect Communities and Wildlife from Flooding  

In the last 10 years, Wisconsin reported roughly $365 million in property damage from flooding. Flooding isn’t just bad for our roads, homes and farms. Increased precipitation and rising Great Lakes coastal waters can overwhelm marsh bird and shorebird nests, wash out eggs and kill chicks. Healthy and abundant wetlands can reduce this flood risk, while providing important habitat for birds and other wildlife.    

Wetlands are a natural solution to flooding. They can store an incredible amount of water. Just one acre — think roughly the size of a football field — of wetlands can store up to 1 million gallons of floodwater. That’s enough water to fill your average water tower. Like a sponge, wetlands suck in floodwater, and slowly release it back into the environment when conditions have improved. And as an added bonus, while they’re busy storing water, they’re also cleaning it. The plants and soil in wetlands help filter out pollutants to keep our drinking water clean. 

Birds Need Wetlands to Thrive  

Like communities across the region, Wisconsin has lost a lot of its historic wetlands — as much as 50 percent. Our remaining wetlands are nature’s powerhouses, supporting a breadth of birds and other wildlife.  

Large wetlands like Horicon Marsh Wildlife Area in southeast Wisconsin, which boasts 33,000 acres of marsh habitat, provide food and sanctuary for hundreds of migrating species, waterfowl, and more. But wetlands don’t have to look like much to be valuable. Small wetlands, sometimes as small as the footprint of a house, have found to be especially beneficial to vulnerable marsh birds like the Virginia Rail and Sora.  

Audubon Members Advocate for Wetlands Restoration