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lll~..HE ]ndians'~alle:d it"th¥"~a'ifi~r birW~:
<br /> i" ter~. Geographers call it the Mississip7
<br /> · · pi. Whatever Yoh call it, it took its re-
<br />venge on those' Wh&had squeezed it tight' in
<br />a corset of dikes and levees, robbing it of its
<br />wetlands. Swollen by weeks of heavy rains~
<br />ttie river burst thr6ugh the estimated:75 fiiiF
<br />I/on sandbags that had:been 'piled up against
<br />it- and' breached' 800 of the"-l;400 levees' that
<br />had sought'in'vain to h01d :it' in.~The- torteh~
<br />rial flood wat~rs:sweptr~alongT, tf0us~,": r~;
<br />bridges; and.. sections'of: railroad' [radk~: and
<br />left many towns un,er Wati~g::."Probably .-the
<br />wont'._evff'
<br />The New ¥orl< 7lines, August.. 10, 1993~-~re~
<br />
<br />,tThe 7lme. v summarized some. of the:dam:-
<br />age:: "Itl:. i~ tw~month 'rampage, the great
<br />Midwest" flood of.' 1993. cut~: an awesome
<br />destructive swath. It' took 50 live~,, left almost
<br />70,0002 people: horr~less,~:inUndate/ff~.an2 hrea
<br />
<br />~,~ But serving as,natura ,
<br />[rilsnis is 0nly 0fi~' of. ~he man, y"rharvelous'
<br />~services rendered' bi"the earth.s-niore than.
<br />{~;300,000 sq"u'ai:e~/miie~ ~6f w~tlan~"'which"
<br />are currently un'd~r destructive attac, k world:
<br />
<br />..~.~ Wetlanda, Nut,eries of the Worm
<br />· ~:From the vast salt rfihrshe~ of.the coast.to'
<br />.'the small freshwater swamps:;/fihrsheS; bogs¢
<br />>gnd fen~'inlaii~'to:th¢, prairie; potholds of.. the
<br />iUnited States and Canada, the pfimaryarchi~
<br />Jtect of wetlands i~.waten:Weflands; are .areas
<br />k.~here; the~:landz igi covered, w/th; water: year
<br />]:ound or covered only ih.time of' flooding; Am
<br />~.ther. type_is..coastaL or.tidal;.wetlands. Since
<br />"mostweflands. are characterized .by a prolific
<br />growth ~ ol~.vegetationx-grasses;,, sedgea;-i.bub
<br />tushes,.trecs,-and.shrubsrc-~ they support a.vm
<br />
<br />twice the:size'of N'ew Jersey, j caused:an esti- ~.'v'.!lz numbc~ibfrshorebii'daiandl:.Wat~ffowl
<br />mated $1'2 billion in property, and agribukural '~nake- thOff,.' horhe~in[ wetlands!: M6re .than
<br />damage'and stirred anew ffdebate over.the, na$ ~a: hundred species: of'them: depend Jori, these
<br />fion's flood-control, sYStem dmd. its polieieg'Y~'d :.'s. hallow..oases~ during their, spring.. _migration.
<br />::[e, aving intact :the~namral'flbod-control~sy~:-- Man:z. weflandsi are nurseries. for an.immense
<br />
<br />tom of Wetlands bordering.the., banl~ off'the
<br />Mississippi would-have: saved 50 .lives:.:and
<br />12 billion dollars. When ~ .people. learnlthat
<br />cooperating w/th' nat~e is_ bette~:' than trying
<br />tosuMu~ itg Wetlan~'adjoining ~ river serve
<br />as floodplains, that .draw: off-:and', storei.the
<br />excess water:, of. rivers~ swollen; by.. prolonged
<br />
<br /> population of-geese and. ducks-w, mallard, teal;
<br /> and, canvasbacko.-.These., area~..~ also' provide
<br /> .. food .and _shelter for.gucl:t.animals as alligator,
<br /> . .boa.vet, musk. rate ~ and m .oQse~Other~ an~...'
<br /> :jmals~ including .bear;: deer~ and; .raCCOOn; use
<br /> '~,,eflands: They~serve'-a¢.'spawning. and nm's:
<br />· er~. grounds:, for mosLof, the fish..that SUplcort
<br />' Amedca'~.three-billionrdollaz~-~commercial
<br />
<br />Awakel: January 22,.1994 13
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