This guest post was written by Tori Leach. Tori is the online membership and marketing coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation, for which PennFuture is the Pennsylvania state affiliate.
Marshes, wetlands, intermittent streams, and even some lakes fill from rainwater or snowmelt then empty through evaporation—coming and going throughout the year. These small but mighty habitats filter out pollution, ease the effects of flooding, and provide water for wildlife in dry climates.
Marshes, wetlands, intermittent streams, and even some lakes fill from rainwater or snowmelt then empty through evaporation—coming and going throughout the year. These small but mighty habitats filter out pollution, ease the effects of flooding, and provide water for wildlife in dry climates.
These habitats, called ephemeral bodies of water, are critical for many species, but small streams and wetlands are at risk and need our help.
Here are a few examples of wildlife that need these
on-again, off-again waters!
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| Three river otters. By James "Newt" Perdue, USFWS |
River
otters are playful semi-aquatic mammals who spend a lot of time in the
water – they can even hold their breath for up to eight minutes! They make their
homes near many types of water, including marshes and wetlands. However, they
are extremely sensitive to water pollution, which in tandem with unregulated
trapping and hunting, had diminished their numbers in the past. Their numbers
are coming back strong, but clean water is key to their survival.
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| Pronghorn running. Photo by Kathy Gervais |
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| Bighorn Sheep. Courtesy of the National Park Service |
Bighorn sheep are known for -- you guessed it -- their big horns! The male horns can weigh up to 30 pounds, and some can grow to over three feet long. In California, federally-listed bighorn sheep rely on pools of standing water called tenajas as a key source of water in an otherwise arid and hot climate. Desert bighorn sheep tend to live within 2-3 miles of water, so the disappearance of any of these tenajas would threaten the species’ survival.
A few species of salamanders have
adapted to the changing life of living in a vernal
pool, a temporary pool that usually fills in the spring and evaporates
depending upon the weather, but often contains water well into the summer.
While adult salamanders live on dry land, during the spring they will go to a
vernal pool to lay their eggs, which will develop and hatch during the summer.
If the pool lasts long enough, the young salamanders will grow and emerge to
become terrestrial animals. One cool thing about these salamander eggs is that
they contain green algae, so that when the embryonic salamander produces carbon
dioxide, it turns it into oxygen that the embryo can use.
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| Spotted salamander. Courtesy of the National Park Service |
American
avocets are migratory birds that use ephemeral waters as their pit
stops along their migratory path. Prairie
pothole wetlands are often frequented by avocets. These “potholes”
provide a shallow habitat for avocets to search for food as well as to nest in
the spring. Their chicks are quick learners – within 24 hours after hatching,
they can already walk, swim, and dive to avoid predators!
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| American avocet and chicks. Photo by: Andrew Lee |
In its 2008 Ephemeral
Streams report, the U.S. EPA estimates that these types of waters
make up about 59 percent of all streams in the United States (except Alaska). For more
than a decade, Clean
Water Act protections for these waters have been uncertain, putting
them at increased risk of pollution and destruction.
But you have a chance to change that. A bill
that would allow polluters free rein in these bodies of water is coming to a
vote this week. You can do your part to protect these and hundreds more species
by urging members of Congress to oppose this attack on the Clean Water Act.
