Failure to restore these ecosystems will result in sharply increased environmental costs later, in the extinction of species or ecosystem types, and in permanent ecological damage. It may lead to desertification because the water cycle will be disturbed. The climatic conditions will also change i.e., there will be an increase in temperature and decrease in rainfall.

Due to losses being so great, a regional strategy is necessary to preserve the remaining wetlands. An integrated and accelerated effort toward environmental restoration and preservation is needed to stop further degradation of these fragile ecosystems.

"Restoration" is the process of returning the wetland system to an approximation of its predisturbed condition. This does not mean returning all altered wetlands to their unaltered state. It simply means replacing the lost values with newly created or "restored" wetlands. This ensures that the ecosystem structure and function are recreated or restored, and that natural dynamic ecosystem processes operate effectively again. Preservation and protection is the most economical way to "manage" wetlands. In other words the restoration goal is to replace the structural and functional aspects of a naturally formed wetland. A "restored" wetland should look naturally formed. It should also support values-the array of biological, chemical and physical processes and interactions-found in the naturally created wetland.

An increase in the quantity and quality of wetland resources can be accomplished through restoration of previously filled, drained or polluted wetlands, and through the creation of wetlands in appropriate places. To successfully increase the acreage and function of our wetlands, restoration efforts must imitate the hydrology, water quality and biota of comparable natural wetlands. Our remaining wetlands are critical to the protection of water quality, fish and wildlife habitat, human health and a healthy long-term economic environment.

The intensity of restoration techniques will depend on the level of disturbance to the values of the original wetland. The best way to protect the quality of wetlands is for every person in the watershed to prevent potential pollutants from being carried by runoff or infiltration.

Considerable advances have been made in large-scale wetland restoration. Yet, restoring wetlands to their original condition-replicating the complex and diverse physical, chemical, and biological interactions-hasn't been well documented.

Lakes are sinks for incoming contaminants that recycle and maintain the impaired conditions. Lake Restoration is viewed in watershed context. Abatement of eutrophication, siltation and contaminant problems are more effective when inputs are controlled. Reduction of inputs enhances the long-term effectiveness of in-lake approaches.