Wetlands Good for Wildlife and People

Swamps, bogs, and other wetlands prevent flooding, filter water, and provide important habitat for wildlife.

Natural Water Filters

Urban runoff water often carries sediment and chemicals that contaminate our creeks. Wetlands filter out many of these contaminants, improving water quality at no cost to the public!

Cost-Free Flood Control

Wetlands soak up and store excess water that might instead flood homes and businesses. They also slow floodwaters that could cause erosion and loss of property. During dry spells, wetlands gradually release their moisture into nearby creeks, helping salmon and other aquatic life.

Home, Home on the Bog

This black spruce bog provides habitat for many different animals. Dwarf Arctic birch, bog blueberry, and other bog-adapted plants grow here, supplying cover for snowshoe hares and other small mammals. These in turn provide meals for predators such as lynx and northern goshawks. Smaller birds like the Lincoln's sparrow and ruby-crowned kinglet also forage here for seeds, berries, or invertebrates.

Did you know...

• There are approximately 7,200 acres of wetlands in Anchorage and more than half are in the Campbell Creek Watershed.
• There are many types of wetlands including marshes, bogs, muskegs, and mud flats.
• Different soil types, plants, and other characteristics of wetlands determine what ecological benefits they provide.
• Not all wetlands are constantly wet; some dry out during certain times of the year.
• One acre of wetland can store as much as 1.5 million gallons of floodwater.
• Over 40% of Alaska is covered by wetlands, compared to 5% of the contiguous United States.