This wetland, which measures 7,557 hectares, serves as the resting and feeding ground for many migratory birds.

Permanent wetlands may serve as non-breeding drought refuges for a range of waterbirds that nest at ephemeral lakes when inundated.

It is well known that wetlands provide flood protection and serve to purify runoff.

Indian forests and wetlands serve as temporary home to many migrant birds.

And combining the ability of wetlands to store and slow down water with their ability to filter out sediments, wetlands serve as strong erosion buffers.

In addition, development pressures have brought speculation that the wetlands of the Gowanus should serve waterfront economic development needs which may not be compatible with environmental restoration.

Devised by local fishermen and farmers, these wetlands served, in effect, as the natural sewage treatment plant for the city.

This is because the wetlands serve as a natural sponge absorbing excess rainfall and doing its bit to reduce pollution.

These wetlands likely served a valuable historical function by removing sediment and pollutants from the San Francisquito Creek mainstem.

The wetlands and forests also serve as a major carbon sink, absorbing and retaining carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.