As much as 25 percent of Delaware is covered by a variety of wetland types, from coastal salt marshes to rare Delmarva Bays. Wetlands provide important benefi ts to people and the environment by improving water quality, reducing fl ooding and erosion, providing habitat for plants and animals, decreasing the impact of severe storms, and providing recreational opportunities. Changes in wetlands result from both human activities and natural processes such as droughts, rising sea level, hurricanes, episodic fl oods, fi re and animal activity. The most common human impacts that eliminate or degrade wetlands include fi lling, draining, dredging, conversion to other uses, pond construction, channelization, discharging pollutants and the spread of invasive plants.