What are wetlands?

When the first settlers came to Ohio, they found areas of shallow water or soggy soil filled with lush vegetation and teeming with fish, waterfowl, furbearers and other kinds of wildlife.

Many of the plants in these "wetlands" were strange, exotic looking species found nowhere else in the state such as the ancient insect-eating pitcher plant and sundew.

In general, wetlands are low-lying areas that are covered or saturated by water during part of each year. This results in specialized wet soil types and water dependent plants.

Ohio wetlands include marshes, swamps, bogs and fens. They vary by degree of wetness, soil characteristics and vegetation type.