Degradation Description
This wetland, as with most coastal wetlands, has been ditched and drained for mosquito control. Ditching promotes the loss of shallow pools and pannes, the creation of drier plant communities, and the elimination of deep ponds. The loss of these habitats was responsible for declines in avian use, especially by waterfowl, shorebirds, and wading birds. While it has been 15 years since the cessation of maintenance ditching, no restoration of deep ponds is occurring, and the shallow pannes/pools return only gradually.