Pasco County officials say wetlands ease flooding, guide land-acquisition and conservation efforts

Pasco County natural-resources staff told listeners on the Pasco podcast on Feb. 2 that wetlands slow floodwaters, support wildlife and are central to county land-acquisition and conservation efforts.

Melissa Charbonneau, senior biologist with Pasco County Natural Resources, said the county uses a three-tier system to classify wetlands and gives the strongest protection to the largest, regionally significant systems. “We categorize wetlands as 1, twos, and threes, and category ones are most regionally significant wetlands tied to, like, river systems or spring systems,” Charbonneau said.

The distinction matters for flood response and land use, officials said. Jackie Jordan, a Pasco County natural-resources team member, described how wetlands can hold stormwater and slow its release into rivers, creating a time lag that gives residents and emergency services more…