VALUE OF WETLANDS, 1: Wetlands can save lives ... we'll 
explain on Passport to Texas
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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, residents 
along the gulf coast, and throughout the nation, have 
become interested in wetlands.

"I think there's a greater appreciation now than ever before of 
the values that wetlands provide. At least from the standpoint 
of improving water quality and storm abatement and 
attenuation of flood flows." 

Nathan Kuhn is a wetland ecologist at Texas Parks and 
Wildlife. In addition to wetlands' value to fish and wildlife 
- which is vast - they also filter pollutants from the water. 
Yet, what people are most interested in these days is how 
wetlands buffer coastlines from the devastating impact of 
monster storms. 

"They basically block the winds and tides and everything else 
when these hurricanes come in. They're essentially a buffer. It 
slowly reduces storm surges as you go farther inland, and it 
also reduces - just in general - the power of a hurricane. You 
know how hurricanes always lose power as they're going over 
Florida? It's because they've made landfall. Warm water is the 
driver for hurricanes; and once they hit the land then they lose 
power. That's why they lose strength, it's because they're no 
longer getting fuel anymore. That's the value of wetlands. If you 
have them way out in the gulf of Mexico from where your house 
is, then by the time it hits your house it'll already have lost a lot 
of steam."

And that can mean the difference between minor 
structural damage and losing everything. Find out how 
you can help protect wetlands by logging 
onto the TPWD web site.

That's our show for today ... made possible by a grant from the 
Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration program ... For Texas Parks 
and Wildlife ... I'm Cecilia Nasti.