Wetlands losses in the United States, 1780's to 1980's. Report to the Congress
Technical Report
·
OSTI ID:5527872
At the time of Colonial America, the area that now constitutes the 50 United States contained an estimated 392 million acres of wetlands. Of the total, 221 million acres were located in the lower 48 states. Another 170 million acres occurred in Alaska. Hawaii contained an estimated 59,000 acres. Over a period of 200 years, the lower 48 states lost an estimated 53 percent of their original wetlands. Alaska has lost a fraction of one percent while Hawaii has lost an estimated 12 percent of its original wetland areas. On average, this means that the lower 48 states have lost over 60 acres of wetlands for every hour between the 1780's and the 1980's. The data presented in the report indicate that 22 states have lost 50 percent or more of their original wetlands. California has lost the largest percentage of original wetlands within the state (91%). Florida has lost the most acreage (9.3 million acres). Wetland acreage data, by state, has been tabulated for the 200-year timespan.
- Research Organization:
- National Wetlands Inventory, St. Petersburg, FL (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5527872
- Report Number(s):
- PB-91-169284/XAB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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