Adapted from Snell 1987

Most wetland loss in southern Ontario can be attributed to dredging, draining and filling, primarily for agricultural purposes, as well as to the spread of urbanization (Table 9.6). Most of that wetland loss occurred before 1967 (Table 9.). While the rate of wetland loss has declined substantially since 1967, the majority of that loss continues to be due to agricultural practices, and old Norfolk County is no exception (Table 9.6). The extensive destruction of wetlands before 1967 can be attributed to a poorly informed farming community and to the fact that wetlands simply could not compete economically with other land uses. While small temporary and seasonal wetlands continue to be removed by certain farmers for ease of operation of large farm machinery, wetland loss has probably slowed since 1982 (Snell 1987). It is thought that this reduced rate of wetland loss over recent years is due to; 1/ lower agricultural investments in farm expansion, 2/ implementation of a provincial wetlands policy, 3/ greater farmer and public awareness of wetland values, 4/ wetland restoration projects sponsored by Ducks Unlimited Canada and other wetland conservation organizations, and 5/ land tax incentives. However, the simple fact that few wetlands remain to be drained has probably had a substantial influence on the rate of wetland loss throughout southern Ontario. Most of the wetland loss since 1967 has involved mainly scattered and relatively small wetlands (Snell 1987). This is probably due to the fact that most large wetlands are either in public ownership and protected, or owned by individuals concerned with their preservation. Snell (1987) did not include small (<10 ha), easily and readily drained wetlands in her analysis. She also did not attempt to include indirect degradation (loss of function) or partial drainage of wetlands, which have been estimated to have adversely afflicted three times more wetland area than wetland removal (Bardecki 1981). This may be particularly true on the old Norfolk Sand Plain, where seasonally and temporarily flooded depressions and swampland are highly susceptible to drainage and destruction. In contrast, the clay soils of Haldimand have numerous tiny depressions that hold water temporarily in the spring.

Adapted from Snell 1987

Temporary and seasonal wetlands, which are often little more than depressions in agricultural fields, are critically important for staging and breeding waterfowl and shorebirds (Robinson 1995). This can be attributed to the fact that they thaw quickly, providing aquatic habitat while other deeper wetland areas are still frozen. They also warm up very quickly, providing the necessary nutrients for invertebrates, plants, and amphibians all of which are important food sources for migrating waterbirds. The abundant aquatic invertebrate life found in these ponds is particularly important for pre-laying and laying female ducks.

The majority of the small wetland depressions in old Norfolk County are on private property. Consequently, the conservation of these areas is often up to the custodial responsibility of the landowner (who is often highly influenced by the present state of the economy), government policy, or on an individual's level of awareness of wetland values (Snell 1987).