Protecting Urban Wetlands with Buffer Zones

Mn/DOT has long recognized the importance of preserving and protecting the state’s many wetlands. These marshes, swamps and bogs provide habitat to a wide diversity of plants and animals that could not otherwise thrive. Sustaining this ecosystem requires a minimum water quality, which is influenced by the runoff from upland areas. Runoff that contains sediments and chemicals from human activities such as farming, forestry and land development can negatively affect wetland ecosystems and reduce biodiversity.