Is a constructed wetland supposed to look and act just like a natural wetland?
As it reaches maturity, a constructed wetland will be almost indistinguishable from a natural wetland and will perform similar functions. If the constructed wetland is built to replace a wetland that has been destroyed, then the objective is to recreate a natural wetland with close to the same biodiversity as the original. Plant selection and constructed wetland design will be dictated by a close adherence to the surrounding terrain and fulfillment of the original purpose with regard to wildlife habitat. However, most constructed wetlands built today are used for wastewater treatment. In this case the objective is to create the features of a natural wetland that best remove the specific pollutants in the effluent stream. This usually means fewer plant species and less variation in topographic features. However, once a constructed wetland has been in operation for several years, planted vegetation patterns tend to blur and nature takes over, bringing in volunteer plants and selecting fo
