I think it's important to point out that wetlands and floodplains are a major part of what protects your home from flooding, and aren't just a simple nature res

I think it's important to point out that wetlands and floodplains are a major part of what protects your home from flooding, and aren't just a simple nature reserve. A wetland acts like a big sponge. A massive rainstorm drops a pile of water, and it absorbs into the wetland. It releases slowly. It's a buffer for water. This means your infrastructure for moving the water through, past, around the city and urban areas can be smaller, since they don't need to handle so much water as once. Or that they can handle a larger rainstorm. You want a wetland or ten upstream of your home. They are low cost to maintain, and provide a lot of value. Source: my brilliant wife is one of Ontario's top municipal engineers on this topic and you can learn a lot just by asking "how was work" every night for 15 years.