Wetlands benefits include the cleansing of water as it flows through natural systems, preventing catastrophic floods by absorbing and holding water, reducing erosion along moving waterways by supporting vegetation that withstands erosion, and recharging aquifers from water stores. Other benefits include habitat for livestock and wildlife, and recreational and educational opportunities. Wildlife habitat quality is usually very high in wetlands. Extremely productive and diverse, wetlands feed insects, fish, birds, mammals, and amphibians. In Colorado, about one-fourth of all vertebrate species depend on wetlands in some season or period of their lives, and 40% of the rare plant communities in the state are found in wetland systems (Colorado Natural Heritage Program). During summer, wetlands provide breeding habitat for geese, pelicans, cormorants, 16 species of ducks, 4 grebes, 8 types of wading birds, 3 raptors, 3 rails, 4 gulls and terns, 9 shorebirds, and 32 species of songbirds, a total of 82 bird species in Colorado.

Threats to wetlands are as diverse as the wetlands themselves. Destruction of wetland habitat outright is perhaps the most obvious. Development pressure, as evidenced along the Front Range, will continue to threaten wetland systems, if not directly, indirectly by altering topography and hydrology. Protection of wetland areas by conservation easements is a popular method for decreasing threats to wetlands by development. Changes in water levels at a site can immediately result in changes in vegetation and wildlife use. On mudflats and shallow playas, many shorebirds rely upon water less than several inches deep for foraging; deeper or shallower water can completely eradicate their foraging habitat. Likewise, many marsh nesters place their nests in emergent vegetation, several inches above the water, and fluctuations of water greater than about 6 inches during the breeding season can cause failure of their nests. The underlying causes for changes in water levels may or may not be obvious, and they may be natural or human-induced. Water levels may be affected by a lowering of the water table either due to reduced natural supply from snowmelt or by pumping wells for agricultural or domestic purposes; by rivers or streams changing channels; by diversion for irrigation, consumption, or recreational use; or by decreases in natural runoff. Sometimes water levels are affected by specific construction (of dikes, dams, ditches) or excavation. Some actions may have unanticipated results, such as when a clay layer is punctured when excavating to increase the holding potential of a pond, resulting in a reduction of its water-holding potential rather than an increase. Changes in water quality may drastically alter the composition of fauna associated with the wetlands. Toxicity due to excessive nutrient levels, pesticides, and herbicides as well as sediment loads may affect invertebrates, fish, and amphibians, which in turn affect the wetland-dependent bird species: wading birds, diving ducks, kingfishers, and rapto rs. The higher trophic level predators of fish and mammals and other birds are particularly vulnerable to increased toxicity due to the concentration of toxins as they proceed up the food chain. Recreational activity may threaten wetland habitat for some of the more shy bird species. Great Blue Herons, White Pelicans, other colonially-nesting birds, and Bald Eagles avoid areas with high levels of disturbance, such as reservoirs with heavy boat traffic. In addition, waves caused by motorized boat usage can cause the failure of marsh nests placed in emergent vegetation just above the water. Grazing by domestic livestock or wild ungulates may impact wetland areas, as particular vegetation types may be selectively grazed (e.g., young willow shoots), or vegetation structure may be changed by a combination of grazing and trampling (e.g., altering grass or sedge density and height). Thus, the species composition of vegetation as well as its structure may be altered by grazing; nest and foraging sites are, in turn, affected by those vegetative changes. High concentrations of livestock near wetlands may also affect the number of Brown-headed Cowbirds present; these brood parasites reduce the reproductive success of many other songbirds when they lay their eggs in other birds' nests. Non-native plant species, often referred to as "weeds" or "exotics," can threaten wetland systems by invading and creating monocultures of habitat that is not native to the area. These plants can disrupt the normal hydrologic regime, alter the composition of insect fauna (because insects are tightly tied to the plants), and displace native plants that provide key food or nesting resources. Examples in Colorado include tamarisk, Russian olive trees, Canada thistle, whitetop, and purple loosestrife. Weed control programs are rapidly gaining support as community members identify problems associated with weeds and target areas for restoration of native vegetation.

• Bureau of Reclamation - Wetland Development Program
• Colorado Division of Wildlife - Colorado Duck Stamp, Colorado Wetlands Initiative
• Colorado Natural Heritage Program
• Ducks Unlimited - Matching Aid to Restore States Habitat Program
• Environmental Protection Agency - Wetland Protection Development Grants Program
• Natural Resource Conservation Service - Wetlands Reserve Program, Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program
• North American Colonial Waterbird Society
• North American Waterfowl Management Plan
• North American Wetland Conservation Act
• The Nature Conservancy - Freshwater Initiative
• United States Fish and Wildlife Service - Partners for Fish and Wildlife
• United States Shorebird Conservation Plan