U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
National Wetlands Inventory
Wetlands provide a multitude of ecological, economic and social benefits. They provide habitat for fish, wildlife and plants - many of which have a commercial or recreational value - recharge groundwater, reduce flooding, provide clean drinking water, offer food and fiber, and support cultural and recreational activities. Unfortunately, over half of America’s wetlands have been lost since 1780, and wetland losses continue today. This highlights the urgent need for geospatial information on wetland extent, type, and change.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is the principal US Federal agency tasked with providing information to the public on the status and trends of our Nation's wetlands. The US FWS National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) is a publicly available resource that provides detailed information on the abundance, characteristics, and distribution of US wetlands. NWI data are used by natural resource managers, within the US FWS and throughout the Nation, to promote the understanding, conservation and restoration of wetlands.
The Wetlands Mapper delivers an easy-to-use map-like view of America’s wetland resources. It spatially integrates NWI data with additional natural resource information and political boundaries to produce a robust decision support tool.
Status and Trends reports provide estimates of US wetland extent, type, and change specific to different time periods, ranging from the 1700’s to 2009. Reports are currently being produced on a decadal basis. The reports educate policy-makers and the public on the status of the Nation's wetlands and potential causes of wetland change.
New data have been added to the Wetlands Mapper for over 21 million acres in 7 states. States with updates include, California, Colorado, Delaware, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska and North Dakota. To view these updates visit our Wetlands Mapper.
Visit our NWI Uses page for Mapper use statistics, use map galleries, analysis examples, and more.
Patterns in data can tell interesting stories. View this StoryMap that examines the patterns of wetlands maps printed from the Wetlands Mapper.
NWI has developed a Wetlands Python Toolbox designed to help select, process, and analyze NWI data. To dowload the toolbox visit our GIS Analytical Tools and Resources webpage.