The Hinman Valley Wetland Complex includes more than 100 acres of open water, deep marsh, shallow marsh, wet meadow, and forested wetland habitats. The site originally contained over 60 acres of regulated wetland, and in 2008 the New York State Department of Transportation created an additional 41 acres of wetland there to compensate for unavoidable wetland impacts during construction of the U.S. Route 219 freeway extension. Wetlands are transition areas between upland and aquatic habitats, and although New York has lost almost half of its historic wetlands to filling and draining, their use is now regulated by state and federal governments because of their value to people and the environment. Wetlands protect water bodies by slowing water velocity, filtering sediments, and reducing shoreline erosion; they also slow, store, and absorb rain and melting snow, helping control floods and stormwater, stabilize water flow, maintain base flow in streams during dry periods, and support ponds and lakes. They cleanse water by filtering pollutants, break down and recycle organic materials that support the food chain, provide important feeding, nesting, spawning, resting, protection, and cover for fish and wildlife, including rare and endangered species, and offer areas for recreation, education, research, and open space.