The Wetland Frontier: A Vanishing Resource

C Perry Shull

(G 305) Dr. Isiorho-Advisor

Dept. of Geosciences

IPFW

April 16,2002

Wetland Losses since 1780

392

104

0

100

200

300

400

500

Mill ions of Acres

1780

1980

Indiana Wetland Status

• Total Land Area Acres 23,226,240 Estimated

• Wetlands Circa 1780’s 5,600,000 Acres

• Percentage as Wetlands Circa 1780’s 24.1 %

• Existing Wetlands Today 813,000 Acres

• Percentage as Wetlands Today 3.5

• %Percentage of Wetlands Lost 85 %

12,262 13,023

27,467

9,939

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Allen Dekalb Noble Whitley

Acres by County

Current Wetland Acreage

Site Location

Site Photos

Northwest

Allen

County

Twin Eagles

Wetland Descriptions

Site Photos

Wetlands Vs. Plat

Recharge - Discharge

Site Photos

Site Photos

Current Real Estate Taxes

$0

$2,000

$4,000

$6,000

$8,000

$10,000

Allen County Auditor 2001

Current RealEstate Taxes

Real Estate Tax Comparison

Real Estate Tax Comparison

Estimated Real Estate Taxes

$0

$500,000

$1,000,000

$1,500,000

Twin Lakes LLP

Estimated RealEstate Taxes

ConclusionsWetlands are extremely important to

mankind and provide many useful services.Society still shows contempt for nature as it

sees wetlands as nothing more that ugly swamps that need to be drained.

The cycle of urban growth continues at the expense of the environment while government reaps a tax windfall.