Between 2009 and 2019, the US lost 221,000 acres of wetlands. The rate of that loss is also accelerating according to the most recent Status and Trends report from the US Fish & Wildlife Service. As we’ve written about before, wetlands are vital ecosystems that offer benefits to people and the environment. Wetlands still account for nearly 6% of the conterminous land in the US. But their losses have increased by 50% over the most recent study period.
The US Fish & Wildlife Service recently turned this decadal report into an interactive narrative with maps. It shows where wetlands exist, how they’re being lost, and where some gains are being made.
The bulk of the narrative explores the footprints and densities of wetlands across the US. In each view, darker colors represent greater densities of wetlands. Waffle charts show how much acreage each type of wetland covers.
The maps have been carefully designed to highlight wetlands and illuminate patterns. They’re all drawn at the same extent and scale. They use an Albers equal-area projection to let you visually compare wetland footprints. And there’s little on the maps aside from wetlands data. Terrain and state boundaries add context, but the wetlands are the focal point.
Wetlands, especially freshwater wetlands, are common in the Southeast and the Great Lakes, and mid-Atlantic regions. Saltwater wetlands are limited to coastal areas and can be found from Washington to Maine. Vegetated wetlands, which offer more ecological value than nonvegetated wetlands, are most prevalent in the Southeast, the Great Lakes region, and Maine.
A series of animated maps show how wetlands are changing. Using real-world imagery over time, they reveal the conversion of wetlands to developed areas in Texas and Florida. In the Prairie Pothole region covering parts of North Dakota, wetlands are actually growing. And in Louisiana, wetlands are being lost to oceans as the coast continues to erode.
This interactive narrative shows how maps can bring a static report to life. Data and statistics become more meaningful and urgent when explored through the familiar lens of place. Maps like this help engage the public while also emphasizing where shifts in policy might have the greatest impact. The narrative itself ends with recommendations about how we can begin to better understand, manage, and conserve these critical places.
