Book 6, Question 129
Why Do Wetlands Protect Towns From Storms?
Wetlands, like salt marshes and mangroves, act like a sponge and a speed bump for storm water. They are places where land and sea mix. Their plants slow the flow, and their shallow ponds store water.
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 6
More fun facts
- Coastal wetlands act as a barrier that lets water through but slows waves and storm surge by friction.
- Wetlands help protect coastal towns from floods.
- Coastal wetlands prevented more than 625 million dollars in property damage during Hurricane Sandy, one study found.
- A wetland is land soaked with water, with plants that can live in wet, low-oxygen soil.
- Marshes, mangroves, swamps and floodplains are all kinds of wetlands.
- Wetlands also filter pollution out of water and give homes to many of the fish we eat.
Questions kids ask
How do wetlands slow a storm?
Water has to push through the plants and soil, and that friction slows waves and surge.