President Biden Elevates Importance of Wetlands, Clean Water for World Water Day

Birds and people need clean and abundant water in rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands, and marshes in landscapes throughout the country. Today, the White House is announcing several new  initiatives to celebrate World Water Day and protect waterways, and access to clean water, across the country.

These announcements include:

• The release of Wetland and Water Protection Resource Guide for Tribes, states, territories, private landowners, and non-governmental organizations to advance water protections;
• The release of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report revealing trends in wetlands from 2009 to 2019; 
• A survey from the Department of Health and Human Services highlighting the differences in water affordability across the country

The announcements are paired with updates from previous water-related commitments from the Administration, including historic levels of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for conservation in places like the Everglades, the Great Lakes, and the Delaware River basin, safeguarding wilderness and cultural areas to protect them from pollution and development, and building resilience to climate change in places threatened by flooding, drought, and wildfires like the Colorado River Basin. From the forested Connecticut River to the mighty Mississippi River to the stopover shores of the Salton Sea, Audubon is working throughout the country to protect and restore these critical waterways. 

In addition to these important efforts that safeguard habitat for birds and people, the Administration is advancing multiple initiatives to protect water infrastructure and access to communities, including by removing lead service lines, addressing forever chemicals, and supporting clean water access for Tribal nations. 

Healthy rivers, lakes, and wetlands are critical to bending the bird curve.  Wetlands alone cover roughly 110 million acres in the continental United States and are indispensable habitat for hundreds of species of birds, including the Bald Eagle, Wood Stork, Northern Pintail, American Bittern, and many more birds, fish, and wildlife. These waterways also filter pollution and provide drinking water for more than 117 million Americans or about 33 percent of the country.

Audubon supports actions like these that provide funding for conservation, access for critical resources—like clean water infrastructure—for communities, and scientific information to guide decision makers. Birds are telling us that we need to do more to ensure their survival—and ours—and these actions are a positive step forward.