The Spanish Lake Basin teems with wildlife. Egrets and herons lunge for splashing fish and slithering snakes, alligators sunbathe on fallen logs, and red-shouldered hawks soar over the tops of moss-draped cypress trees. It is a habitat with a rich diversity of species. Once regarded as dark and dreary places, wetlands like Spanish Lake Basin are now understood to be precious ecological resources, which nurture wildlife, purify polluted waters, check the destructive powers of floods and storms, and provide many recreational opportunities. For these reasons, many people are taking steps to preserve and protect wetland areas like Alligator Bayou and the Spanish Lake Basin. More