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Wetlands


What Are Wetlands?

Wetlands are shallow, wet areas that support aquatic plants,  like bulrushes and cattails, as well as shrubs and trees.

Wetlands cover 5% of the surface area of Prince Edward Island. About 20% are salt or tidal marshes. These are considered to be among the most productive ecosystems on earth. Tidal marshes are common along the edges of bays and estuaries. The remaining 80% are freshwater wetlands. These include open water ponds, marshes, small wet meadows, wooded swamps and bogs. The construction of livestock watering ponds and borrow pits in areas with a high water table has resulted in the recent formation of more wetlands.


Benefits of Wetlands

Wetlands perform a variety of important functions. They:

  • provide habitat for fish and wildlife species and contribute to the productivity of rivers and estuaries;
  • form a vital link in the water cycle by acting as groundwater recharge, discharge and storage areas;
  • act as water purification systems by trapping and breaking down contaminants such as chemicals, organic waste, and sediment;
  • act as carbon sinks, thereby helping to reduce greenhouse gases;
  • stabilize river and coastal shorelines;
  • provide recreational opportunities for hunting, fishing, trapping, bird watching, and canoeing; and
  • provide food and habitat for commercial fish species.


The Wetlands web site contains information on the Wetland Conservation Policy.  This policy was implemented in 2003 to prevent the loss of wetlands and establish standards and goals for all of Prince Edward Island. For more information on working in or near wetlands, visit Wetlands and Watercourse Protection Regulations and Water Course, Wetlands and Bufferzone Activity Permits.

Land owners and other with an interest in wetlands can access information through the PEI Land On-Line web site.

The Eastern Habitat Joint Venture program offers informative Fact Sheets on a variety of typical Island wetland types. This includes beaver ponds, bogs and fens, soil erosion and wetland and their ecological roles.

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