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  • Perspective
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Enhancing protection for vulnerable waters

Nature Geoscience volume 10, pages 809–815 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Governments worldwide do not adequately protect their limited freshwater systems and therefore place freshwater functions and attendant ecosystem services at risk. The best available scientific evidence compels enhanced protections for freshwater systems, especially for impermanent streams and wetlands outside of floodplains that are particularly vulnerable to alteration or destruction. New approaches to freshwater sustainability — implemented through scientifically informed adaptive management — are required to protect freshwater systems through periods of changing societal needs. One such approach introduced in the US in 2015 is the Clean Water Rule, which clarified the jurisdictional scope for federally protected waters. However, within hours of its implementation litigants convinced the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to stay the rule, and the subsequently elected administration has now placed it under review for potential revision or rescission. Regardless of its outcome at the federal level, policy and management discussions initiated by the propagation of this rare rulemaking event have potential far-reaching implications at all levels of government across the US and worldwide. At this timely juncture, we provide a scientific rationale and three policy options for all levels of government to meaningfully enhance protection of these vulnerable waters. A fourth option, a 'do-nothing' approach, is wholly inconsistent with the well-established scientific evidence of the importance of these vulnerable waters.

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Figure 1: Estimated loss of wetland areas in different continents of the world.
Figure 2
Figure 3: Wetland restoration provides opportunities to regain wetland functions.

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Acknowledgements

This Perspective arose from a 'Geographically Isolated Wetlands Research Workshop' co-hosted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) Office of Research and Development, and the Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center in Newton, Georgia, 18–21 November, 2013. This Perspective also benefited from discussions held at the 'Connectivity of Geographically Isolated Wetlands to Downstream Waters' Working Group supported by the John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis, funded by the US Geological Survey and the US EPA Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory. We acknowledge Rose Kwok of the US EPA Office of Water, for her contributions to the history of the US CWA (Supplementary Section 1) and Brian Hill of the US EPA Office of Research and Development, for his contributions to the data used in the calculation of ecosystem services (Supplementary Section 2). The findings, conclusions and views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the US EPA or the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Author notes

  1. Irena F. Creed

    Present address: School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5C8, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Western University, London, N6A 5B7, ON, Canada

    Irena F. Creed

  2. US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, 45268, Ohio, USA

    Charles R. Lane

  3. Department of Biology, Western University, London, N6A 5B7, ON, Canada

    Jacqueline N. Serran

  4. US EPA Office of Research and Development, 20460, Washington, DC, USA

    Laurie C. Alexander

  5. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, ON, Canada

    Nandita B. Basu

  6. Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine, Orono, 04469, Maine, USA

    Aram J. K. Calhoun

  7. US EPA Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Las Vegas, 89119, Nevada, USA

    Jay R. Christensen

  8. School of Forest Resources and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611, Florida, USA

    Matthew J. Cohen

  9. School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, 47405, Indiana, USA

    Christopher Craft

  10. CSS-Dynamac, Cincinnati, 45268, Ohio, USA

    Ellen D'Amico

  11. School of Natural Resource Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, 58102, North Dakota, USA

    Edward DeKeyser

  12. Odum School of Ecology, The University of Georgia, Athens, 30602, Georgia, USA

    Laurie Fowler

  13. US EPA Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory, Cincinnati, 45268, Ohio, USA

    Heather E. Golden

  14. Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611, Florida, USA

    James W. Jawitz

  15. US EPA Region 4 Laboratory, Athens, 30605, Georgia, USA

    Peter Kalla

  16. Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center, Newton, 39870, Georgia, USA

    L. Katherine Kirkman

  17. US Fish and Wildlife Service, Falls Church, 22041, Virginia, USA

    Megan Lang

  18. Western Ecology Division, US EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Corvallis, 97333, Oregon, USA

    Scott G. Leibowitz

  19. Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, Tampa, 33620, Florida, USA

    David B. Lewis

  20. CDM Smith, Inc., Indianapolis, 46204, Indiana, USA

    John Marton

  21. Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, 24061, Virginia, USA

    Daniel L. McLaughlin

  22. ORISE Fellow, US EPA Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds, 20460, Washington, DC, USA

    Hadas Raanan-Kiperwas

  23. School of Geosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, 33620, Florida, USA

    Mark C. Rains

  24. School of Geosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, 33620, Florida, USA

    Kai C. Rains

  25. Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center, Newton, 39870, Georgia, USA

    Lora Smith

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  1. Irena F. Creed
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Contributions

I.F.C. and C.R.L. co-led and co-wrote the Perspective with contributions from all co-authors. I.F.C., J.R.C., K.C.R. and J.N.S. contributed to the figures.

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Correspondence to Irena F. Creed.

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Creed, I., Lane, C., Serran, J. et al. Enhancing protection for vulnerable waters. Nature Geosci 10, 809–815 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo3041

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