In the section The Watershed we looked at all of the impacts on watercourses in our province. A few of these impacts should be mentioned again with regards to wetlands, ponds, and lakes. You may be able to correct or help some of these situations during the course of your project.

- In some parts of Nova Scotia, a plant called Purple Loosestrife is taking over wetland areas. This invasive plant, although attractive, is of no use to wildlife and tends to choke out more useful native plants. Loosestrife can, in fact, take over an entire wetland area. Its growth should be discouraged in wetlands and in private gardens where seeds may be carried to nearby wetland areas.

- Recreational vehicles such as ATV's and snowmobiles can trample, compact, and damage the ground in these sensitive, poorly drained areas. This can result in changes in vegetation and ground structure. Ruts in nearby wet areas can cause silt to enter the water during rainy periods.

- In the past, humans have filled in or drained many wetland areas so that the land can be used for construction, farming, or other purposes. This has resulted in losses of habitat, It has also increased the rate of storm runoff, and by reducing water storage capacity, increased the length and severity of droughts.

- Harvesting peat from bogs can alter the water flow in nearby streams.

- In the past 30 years forest cutting around wet areas often involved heavy machinery, which created rutting and compaction of the soil. Now, forest workers are more aware of the danger of silt getting into watercourses and are asked to follow guidelines that limit how close they can get to a wet area. New forest sustainability regulations in the Province are having a positive effect of stream protection. http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/forestry/strategy/sustainabilityregs.htm

- Farmers should not plough to the edge of stillwater areas; a greenbelt should always be left to prevent too many fertilizers from moving into the system