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Coastal wetland loss on the Great Lakes has been substantial (less than 5% of western Lake Erie's wetlands remain today) and what little remains of the existing wetlands continues to receive pressure from accelerating coastal development. This is because many of the Great Lakes coastal wetlands have not received sufficient protection to maintain their essential ecological functions for the future. Fortunately, through the excellent stewardship of private hunting clubs, as well as the indirect legal protection (e.g. Planning Act, Fisheries Act, Public Lands Act, etc.) and international recognition that it has been afforded, Long Point has maintained the majority of its wetlands in a relatively pristine state. Long Point is probably one of the most protected and internationally recognized wetlands in North America. It was designated a Ramsar site in 1982, based primarily on its international importance as a waterfowl staging area. Furthermore, Long Point and its surrounding waters have been designated as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, and a Globally Important Bird Area by BirdLife International and the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation.
While the extent of wetland loss at Long Point has been both less severe, and less noticeable, than at places such as Point Pelee and Rondeau, the Long Point area has experienced incremental wetland loss over the past 70 years. It continues today. While the primary cause of coastal wetland loss on the Great Lakes has been the desire for waterfront property, followed by conversion to agriculture, cottage and marina development have made the primary impacts at Long and Turkey Point. With ever increasing human populations on the lower Great Lakes, the demand for more marinas, cottages and trailer parks will inevitably increase. In addition to direct wetland loss, the cumulative impact of ever increasing boat traffic in the Inner Bay will be increased turbidity and physical damage and uprooting of aquatic vegetation. This will cause a decline in the availability of plant foods for staging waterfowl.
The wetlands of the Inner Bay have developed in the presence of and are dependent on long- and short-term Lake Erie water level fluctuations to remain productive. High water periods kill dominant species such as cattail, thereby preventing marshes from becoming overgrown and unproductive. It has been suggested that any stabilization of water levels would likely reduce marsh area, vegetation diversity, and plant species diversity. As Lake Erie's water levels are not presently stabilized to any substantial degree, this represents a possible future threat rather than a present cause for concern.