A freshwater marsh is a marsh that contains fresh water. They are usually found near the mouths of rivers and are present in areas with low drainage. The Florida Everglades, the largest freshwater marsh in the United States, are an example of this type of marsh.[1]
Freshwater marshes are non-forested, non-tidal, and have non-peat soils (unlike bogs and fens). They are most common in the Gulf Coast region, specifically in Florida. They can be either fresh water mineralized marshes, from groundwater, streams and surface runoff, or poorly mineralized fresh water marshes resulting from direct precipitation. They have their own ecosystems where the pH is usually neutral leading to an abundance of many different types of plants and wildlife. Common species include ducks, geese, swans, songbirds, swallows, and black ducks. Although more shallow marshes do not support many fish, deeper marshes are home to many species, including northern pike and carp. Some of the most common plants are cattails, water lilies, arrowheads, and rushes.[2]
The largest freshwater marsh in the United States is the Florida Everglades. This immense marsh covers 4,200 square miles (11,000 km2) and is located in the southern tip of Florida. Continued human development, including drainage for development and polluted agriculture runoff, as well as alterations in the water cycle threaten the existence of the Everglades. The remaining parts of the Everglades are grasses, sedges and other emergent hydrophytes.[3]
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