Draining and paving wetlands is just about one of the worst ideas ever. When water can disperse along a winding waterway into soft soil it slows it’s movement way down. Slow water deposits sediment instead of eroding it. Plants can grow in it that clean the water and trap more sediment. That increased soil absorbs and slows extra water when there’s a larger rain than usual and buffers the effects of even torrential storms.
Fast, straight waterways remove soil, and don’t give water a chance to soak in. Often insult is added to injury by paving and armoring the banks (ostensibly to reduce erosion) removing any possibility of absorbing and slowing extra water. Any increase in precipitation upstream means a higher water level. A storm means catastrophic flooding.
Draining wetlands doesn’t make more “usable” land, it sets the stage for tragedies.
