One of the most unfortunate aspects of modern-day society is that we tend to ignore the services that the natural world provides us. According to economist Herman Day, “we have come to regard the Earth as nothing more than an infinite mine for the production of our commodities, and a bottomless sink for our streams of waste. Only now that a series of global ecological crises are upon us, some economists are beginning to understand that the services provided to us by the natural world should also be a fundamental consideration in our economic decisions.”
For example, when a contracting company is considering different pieces of land to build a massive suburban neighborhood, it will focus mostly on economic considerations such as how many units can be placed on the land and potential long term profitability. Land development is one of the main drivers of the destruction of wetland ecosystems, as many construction companies will drain wetlands to facilitate housing development.
But these construction companies—and homeowners interested in purchasing a home—need to take into consideration, and indeed prioritize, ecosystem services provided by wetlands.
Restoring wetland ecosystems is as important as not destroying it in the first place. The National Park Service, for example, has removed thousands of tons of “fill” from the Channel Islands National Park in southern California and from Cuyahoga Valley National Park in northern Ohio. The removal of the fill, which previously blocked water flow and hindered the movement of aquatic life, has allowed the restoration of these ecosystems, the resurgence of aquatic life, and even uncovered streams that were previously buried underground.
Homeowner Initiatives to Recreate Wetland Ecosystems: the Mini Wetland
Attempting to restore several thousand acres of wetland that is threatened by urban development might seem like a task beyond the reach of an ordinary homeowner. So what can an individual homeowner do? We can play a part in restoring the wetland ecosystem by creating a mini wetland in our backyards. Mini wetlands are relatively easy to build and can offer a responsible way to deal with the stormwater runoff from your roof and gutters and the greywater flowing from the showers and sinks from your home. Instead of sending thousands of gallons of water into your municipal sewer system, which often becomes contaminated and pollutes local watersheds, the water falling from your roof and flowing from your home can be redirected into a biologically diverse, beautiful, and functional area of your yard.
How to Build a Wetland
Water will always tend to gather and accumulate in low lying areas. Step one to building a backyard wetland ecosystem is to dig a small depression in an area of your yard. This will readily redirect the water from your showers, sink, and roof gutters or downspouts. The size of the wetland and the depth of the depression will depend on several factors. These include the amount of annual rainfall your region receives, the type of soil in your yard, and the types of vegetation you will plant within the wetland.
As a general rule, you should at least dig a shallow depression about one foot deep. If you live in a dry area with limited rainfall, you will want to line the hollowed-out area with plastic liner; otherwise, the limited water from your greywater recycling system and roof will absorb into the soil. Make sure to puncture a few holes in the liner to allow the water to seep into the soil underneath gradually. A functioning wetland should always maintain damp soil with periodic moments of standing water. In extremely wet climates, the plastic lining might not be necessary.
Once you have your depression dug out and lined it (if necessary), you will want to fill the hole with at least two inches of pea-sized gravel. Followed with another two inches of peat moss, and two inches of coarse sand. This layered mix will offer drainage properties while also giving a growing medium for the wetland vegetation. You should then fill up the rest of the depression with chopped straw, fertile soil, or compost, being careful to leave a hollow of at least one inch between the dug-out area and the surrounding berm of soil.
Before planting your backyard wetland ecosystem, you will want to redirect the piping from your gutters/downspouts and your greywater recycling system (if you have one) towards the constructed wetland. To make sure that water is spread evenly throughout the wetland, drill several holes in the piping or tubing to encourage even infiltration of water.
