Latest news with #wetlands
The National
3 days ago
- Climate
- The National
Best photos of May 31: Tribute to Gaza's children in Portugal to protestor kicking riot police in Argentina
Tour boat operator Marshall Jones's dog, Scooby, lies on ground among tree roots and rubbish that is normally under water in the Florida Everglades. The region, which is the largest wetland in the United States, is experiencing severe drought. AP Photo
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wetlands project under way in West Terre Haute
A new wetlands project in West Terre Haute is in the works. Indiana's Department of Environmental Management has submitted an application through its Office of Water Quality/Wetlands Section for a Section 401 Water Quality Certification in order to reestablish wetlands in West Terre Haute. The project's location is about 80 acres of Department of Natural Resources property about a third of a mile northeast of the intersection of West Fairview Avenue and Barnhardt Road. About 69 acres of wetlands will be restored through processes involving re-establishment, rehabilitation and enhancement. 'The McClain Mitigation Project to restore wetlands on DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife property in Vigo County has been proposed by the Indiana Stream and Wetland Mitigation Program,' said Marty Benson of IDEM. 'The proposed project will provide water quality benefits to the residents of Vigo County and the Middle Wabash Service Area through increased groundwater filtration, flood protection and support of biodiversity. 'The restored wetlands and stream riparian areas would be permanently protected by deed restriction. The project would fulfill in-lieu fee wetland and stream credit sales in the Middle Wabash Service Area and replace and benefit aquatic resources in that area.' Benson added, 'This project is not related to the Wabash Valley Resources plans for the area.' The property was acquired by DNR in September 2019. Indiana Stream and Wetland Mitigation Program identified the site as an opportunity for restoration, and it completed preliminary design work in 2024. 'For now, this project stems from IDNR's In-Lieu Program, specifically for the Middle Wabash Service Area,' said Evan White, project manager wetlands and stormwater in the water quality office. 'It is a result of wetlands and stream permits from within the Middle Wabash Service Area that required compensatory mitigation for those projects' impacts,' he continued. 'This site is one of many that will be built within this service area to offset multiple different projects' impacts to aquatic resources.' Indiana Stream and Wetland Mitigation Program pursues projects of this nature throughout the state to fulfill in-lieu fee mitigation credits, which is a type of compensatory mitigation where a permittee pays a fee that is used to conduct wetland restoration and enhancement. The purpose of announcing the application was to solicit public comment and information on any impacts the project may have on water quality in the area. White can be reached at 317-671-6698 of EVWhite@ Correspondence should include IDEM's project number, which is 2025-373-84-EJW-WQC.
CBC
22-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Golf course plan has P.E.I. Watershed Alliance calling for more protection for wetlands
Social Sharing An environmental group is raising concerns about how some wetlands are being filled in while a new golf course is being built in Summerside, but a spokesperson for the developer says everything is being done with proper authorization. The golf course is part of the Ocean View Resort project, which involves infilling 27 acres of wetland. Heather Laiskonis, the executive director of the P.E.I. Watershed Alliance, said she found out about the development permit from a member of the public. "A concerned citizen called us. They weren't sure who to direct their question to so they called us and I did a little digging," she said. "The citizen called because they seen a huge amount of red silt flowing into the estuary, and there was a functioning little pond where all the local waterfowl were gathering and the silt filled in so much in this little area that the waterfowl had to leave. "They actually paid over $400,000 to infill a wetland, 27 acres of wetland, which is a very productive ecosystem here on P.E.I." Laiskonis said she thinks it was a "huge error" to let this permit go through. "Our wetlands should only ever be considered to be infilled if it's saving critical infrastructure, [or] it concerns the safety of Islanders," she said. "That's not what we're seeing. We're seeing they're getting permits not as a last resort, but for resorts. So permits are being issued for development, for golf courses, and we have so few wetlands on the Island, we have to preserve them." P.E.I. Watershed Alliance says permits to develop wetlands must be 'a last resort, not for resorts' 5 hours ago Duration 2:24 The P.E.I. Watershed Alliance says it's disappointed that the province granted a permit to fill in a wetland as part of a golf course development in Summerside. The government received $406,500 compensation for the 27.1 acres of wetland involved. A spokesperson for the developer says they will be adding new lakes and enhanced wetland systems. CBC's Nancy Russell has more. Laiskonis is calling for P.E.I. legislation to be changed to protect wetlands. "It hasn't been changed since 2007, and we are living in a very different world now, with storms coming at us, like post-tropical storm Fiona, Dorian," she said. "We need that legislation to not allow wetlands to be infilled — period." Wetlands are useful for mitigating flooding in areas near the shore, as well as offsetting carbon output by acting as a carbon sink. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said wetlands are considered "the most productive ecosystems in the world, comparable to rain forests and coral reefs." No community consultation? On another note, Laiskonis said the community should have been consulted about the decision to let wetlands be filled in for a recreation purpose. "Is a golf course and a luxury resort and condominiums giving back to the community? No," she said. "There should have been a consultation process with the community to see if they valued those 27 acres of wetland. And to my knowledge, there was no such process, and no such process exists." Another concern she mentioned was the $406,500 the Ocean View developer paid the province as part of obtaining the permit to do the infill work. "The compensation won't serve us down the road. This is not the legacy we should be leaving. Our ecosystem services should not be transactional; we need to protect our Island so that generations to come can enjoy it," she said. "We are literally cannibalizing our Island for meagre, meagre profits." Developer's response A representative for the Ocean View Resort developer, Nicolle Morrison, sent CBC News a statement saying the work is being carried out with "full regulatory [oversight] and in compliance with all provincial environmental standards." She also said the company is not completely getting rid of wetlands. "Importantly, we are not eliminating wetlands without replacement. The final design of the golf course includes the creation of several new lakes and enhanced wetland systems, designed to improve storm water management, support wildlife habitat, and increase ecological resilience." Morrison also said the project will have a new "modern underground irrigation system and a comprehensive drainage system throughout the course." Developer of Summerside's 'gamechanger' Ocean View Resort is planning to finally open it in 2027 9 days ago Duration 2:23 The owner of a long-unfinished resort in Summerside has big plans for the property. An application has been submitted to the city to build condos and make additions to the golf course on site. But some fear that after sitting dormant so long, the property might stay that way. CBC's Connor Lamont has the story. Following up on Laiskonis's interview, the P.E.I. Watershed Alliance sent CBC News a statement outlining concerns not addressed by the developer's reply. "We must emphasize that our concerns lie not just with the implementation, but the policy that enabled this permit to be granted in the first place," it read. The alliance urged a re-examination of the permitting process, saying "some systems simply cannot be recreated once lost." The $406,500 contribution will be used to support future wetland creation/restoration projects that seek to offset the functional impacts of the wetland alteration. An official from the provincial Environment, Energy and Climate Action Department said in an email that a complaint regarding the project has been investigated and they are satisfied with the work done to prevent runoff. In addition, the email pointed out that the compensation from Ocean View will go to a good cause.
Arab News
21-05-2025
- Science
- Arab News
How dried-out wetlands on the Iran-Iraq border threaten the region
LONDON: The dust storms that have choked Iranians and Iraqis for weeks and hospitalized thousands, are the canary in the coalmine for a complex environmental disaster unfolding in wetlands straddling the two countries' border. The Hoor Al-Hawizeh wetlands, north of the southern Iraqi city of Basra, are drying out and experts warn that continued decline, including in the connected Hoor Al-Azim marshes in Iran, could drive water shortages, migration and even conflict. 'These marshes once acted as natural barriers, trapping fine sediments and maintaining soil moisture,' said Hossein Hashemi, an associate professor of water resource engineering at Lund University in Sweden. 'But their shrinkage, caused by upstream dam construction, wartime destruction, and climate change, has exposed vast stretches of loose, dry sediment,' he said. 'As winds sweep across these barren areas, they lift large quantities of fine dust, leading to more frequent and intense storms.' The degradation of the wetlands, part of the Mesopotamian Marshes, also threatens unique wildlife, including softshell turtles, birds, fish and water plants. Hoor Al-Hawizeh is recognized by UNESCO for its biodiversity and cultural heritage, and Iraqi sections are designated wetlands of international importance on the Ramsar List, the world's largest list of protected areas. On the Iran side, Hoor Al-Azim is a crucial source of food, water, jobs and tourism to millions of people in the southwestern Khuzestan province. But now it is under threat. 'This brings with it the issue of forced migration, displacement, conflict, poverty, unemployment, hunger and more,' said Kaveh Madani, director of the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health and a former deputy head of Iran's Department of Environment. Data from Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran shows that since the early 1970s, Hoor Al-Azim has declined from some 124,000 hectares to 60,650 hectares. That means nearly half of its original area, including water and reed beds, has disappeared, mainly, scientists say, because of oil exploration, farming, dam building and climate change. 'The degradation has contributed to the displacement of local communities, increased poverty, and reduced agricultural productivity,' said Ali Torabi Haghighi, associate professor of water resource management at the University of Oulu in Finland. 'It has led to severe biodiversity loss, particularly among migratory bird species, native fish populations, and other aquatic and semi-aquatic life,' he added. In July 2021, one of the largest waves of nationwide protests began in Khuzestan over drought and water shortages. Security forces killed dozens and thousands were arrested, according to the human rights group, Amnesty International. Those same stresses persist today with temperatures exceeding 55 degrees Celsius in the summer months and drought again stalking the land. In May, around a thousand people were hospitalized in Khuzestan each day with heart and respiratory illnesses from sand and dust storms. Madani said urgent action was needed, not least to prevent political tensions flaring with countries accusing each other of not releasing enough water into the wetlands. Wildfires exacerbate the pollution. In early May, thousands of hectares of Hoor Al-Azim caught fire, local media said. Earlier this year, smoke and pollution from fires on the Iraqi side of the wetlands engulfed villages in Khuzestan, forcing schools and offices to shut for days. As well as climate effects, human activities are degrading the marshes. Around 80 percent of Iran's oil production is in Khuzestan and a 2021 study found that since the early 2000s, oil exploration projects have caused 'significant damage.' Hamidreza Khodabakhshi, a water planning expert and environmental activist in Khuzestan, said oil exploration had caused parts of the wetlands to dry up. 'Road construction and pipeline installation have not only damaged the ecosystem, but also blocked the natural flow of water,' he said. In February, Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad told a meeting in Ahvaz, the main city in Khuzestan, that the government took responsibility. 'We are the ones who dried up the wetland, and we are the ones who hurt the people of Khuzestan — now we need to prioritize the employment needs of locals,' he said. The Hoor Al-Hawizeh marshes are fed by water from the Tigris River in Iraq and the Karkheh River in southwest Iran — sources that have sometimes become a point of conflict. Iran, Iraq and Turkiye have constructed dams upstream that scientists say have significantly harmed Hoor Al-Hawizeh. Since 2009, the marsh has also been effectively divided by a 65-km dyke built along the border by Iran to keep water inside its territory. Haghighi said tensions also flared over water allocation. 'In many cases, maintaining ecological water flows is given lower priority compared to agricultural, hydropower and municipal uses, resulting in severe consequences for wetland health,' he said. Scientists hope to raise the case of Hoor Al-Azim at the next meeting of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in Zimbabwe in July. 'Sand and dust storms and wildfires are examples of the complex problems that are going to require complex solutions through diplomacy and cooperation,' Madani said.
Washington Post
21-05-2025
- Washington Post
Habitat loss and climate change make it tough to be an amphibian. Some humans are helping
HONEOYE, N.Y. — On a rainy March evening, John Bateman puts on his boots and a headlamp and heads to a wetland cut through by a busy road. As he walks, he scans the pavement for spring peepers, toads, salamanders and newts making their slow way as they migrate to new habitat each spring, and leans down occasionally to help guide one across.
