"After the loss of key federal wetlands protections in 2023, scientists are warning the damage this change could bring to wetlands would also bring billions of dollars of flood damage with it.
According to a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists, there are 30 million acres of wetlands across the upper Midwestern United States providing crucial flood prevention benefits, whose loss could potentially cost the region more than $22 billion annually.
Among the eight states in the study — Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin – Michigan holds 6.4 million acres of wetlands, meaning the state could lose $4.77 billion in annual flood mitigation benefits due to threats from pollution and industrial agriculture.
While speaking with the Michigan Advance, Stacy Woods, the research director for the Union’s Food and Environment Program and author of the report, explained that Michigan holds almost 9.5 million acres used for agriculture, compared to the 6.4 million acres of wetlands. However, the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has drastically changed how the federal Clean Water Act can be used to protect wetlands from being drained or polluted by industrial farming and other industries, Woods said."
Kyle Davidson reports for Michigan Advance December 4, 2024.
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