World Wetlands Day 2026: Design With Wetlands

World Wetlands Day is observed each year on February 2nd to mark the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands. This year’s theme, “Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage,” is a timely reminder that wetlands are not only ecological assets. They are landscapes that live, shaped by generations of observation, stewardship, and place-based practices.

That framing matters for those of us who plan, design, permit, and build infrastructure. Wetlands sit at the intersection of water, land, and community. When we treat them as constraints to “get around,” projects can become harder to permit, more expensive to build, and less resilient over time. Wetlands become part of the solution when we treat them as systems to understand and partner with.

Why wetlands matter to every community

Wetlands reduce runoff from development and store floodwater, lessening downstream impacts. They improve water quality by treating pollutants and nutrients, support fisheries and wildlife, and store carbon.

Losing wetlands carries tangible costs. Global assessments warn that wetland decline could drive massive economic losses in flood protection, water supply, food systems, and more, underscoring that wetlands serve as vital infrastructure, like concrete structures.

The “traditional knowledge” connection is practical, not poetic

Building on the importance of wetlands, we find that traditional and local knowledge is often described in cultural terms, but is also technically grounded. It reflects patterns observed over decades: for example, where water collects first, how tides behave in a storm, which vegetation indicates persistent saturation, which channels migrate, and which areas rebound naturally after disturbance.

When project teams listen early, that insight can improve decisions that engineering models alone may not fully capture, including:

• How a site functions during extreme events (not only the design storm)
• Where seasonal saturation affects constructability and maintenance
• How to shape design choices for public access, working waterfronts, or heritage landscapes

This is especially relevant in 2026 as communities are balancing growth with water constraints, risk of flooding, and coastal change.

A shifting regulatory landscape raises the stakes for getting wetlands right

Wetland and stream jurisdiction, permitting paths, and documentation expectations continue to evolve. In the U.S., the definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) has been revised and implemented differently across states through litigation and rulemaking. The most important takeaway for project owners is clear: uncertainty is not a reason to delay formulating a wetland strategy; it shows the need to start earlier.

Projects that move smoothly through permitting typically share three traits:

• Early field verification and clear documentation of aquatic resources
• A design approach that avoids and minimizes impacts instead of “mitigating” them
• A realistic plan for compensatory mitigation and monitoring when required

When wetlands are integrated into the design from the start

Effective projects do not bolt on wetlands after other design decisions have been made. Instead, they are planned alongside them. Examples include:

• Site and grading design conforming to natural drainage patterns
• Stormwater strategies mimicking natural storage and delayed release
• Design of landscape and public realms to protect wetland buffers while creating valued community spaces
• Phasing plans that reduce disturbance, protect soils, and effectively control erosion and sediment transport

This is where gray and green solutions converge to create resilient infrastructure that relies on wetland functions, regardless of project labeling.

Protecting wetlands with purpose: DCCM’s science-driven, delivery-focused approach

DCCM supports clients nationwide across diverse infrastructure markets, providing design, consulting, and program and construction management services. We leverage our water resources capabilities, including hydrologic and hydraulic analysis, watershed management, and conservation planning, to deliver resilient, sustainable outcomes.

Wetland management is routinely included in the planning and design decisions made for our clients, including:

• Managing flood risk to avoid over-building or over-permitting
• Aligning stormwater systems with natural hydrology and long-term maintenance
• Reducing permit risk by designing for avoidance and minimization, and developing workable mitigation strategies
• Coordinating disciplines to ensure environmental constraints are considered in geometry, utilities, and construction staging from the start.

Across DCCM’s nationwide offices, environmental services supporting wetlands include regulatory permitting, wetland determination and delineation, and environmental mitigation and restoration.