The water quality benefits of constructed treatment wetlands have been widely-studied and reported upon. This has led to increasing adoption of treatment wetlands to manage a variety of water quality challenges. Conversely to treatment systems that rely on external sources of energy and chemicals (wastewater facilities and water treatment plants), constructed treatment wetlands rely primarily on the sun and natural processes for water quality improvement. Because of the low-energy nature of wetlands, these systems rely on surface area rather than external energy inputs to achieve desired levels of treatment. Furthermore, these constructed treatment wetlands are generally fed by a continuous source of water. The large footprints of these systems, when combined with a consistent water source, often makes these constructed wetlands unique habitats within the landscape. These habitats attract wildlife with specific, wetland dependent needs; and when open to the public, humans. This has resulted in substantial ancillary benefits associated with constructed treatment wetlands and an additional driver for these projects to be adopted. This presentation will present information on bird utilization of constructed treatment wetlands in North Central Florida based on data derived from a large, citizen-science dataset. These data are presented with estimates of visitor attendance to provide a clearer picture of the value of these natural treatment systems to both wildlife and humans.
Constructed Treatment Wetlands as Habitat and Recreational Amenities