Wetland Management

Wetlands

• Premier, underrated, overlooked natural resource

• Provide habitat to numerous species of plants and animals

Ecological Role

• Controlling flood

• Act as a filter for pollutants

• Add to underground water sources

• Provide habitat for many species – especially waterfowl and amphibians

Ecological Role

• Provide recreational use

According to the EPA

• More than one third of all threatened and endangered species live only in wetlands

• One half of threatened and endangered species use wetlands at some point in their lives

What are Wetlands?

• Many types can be found in a variety of habitats across the US

• Definitions are unclear, it all depends on what group you ask

• Governmental agencies use several differing definitions

Wetlands

• Individuals’ and groups’ perspectives and agenda drive what they perceive to be a wetland

Characteristics

• Three characteristics

• 1 -Prolonged presence of water – an area whose hydrology includes frequent saturation

• 2 -Affects how the soil develops and what plants will grow

• Plant types that are attracted to these growing conditions are generally called hydrophytes

• Third – because the soil is subjected to frequent saturation and may have a permanent water table close to the surface, it develops into hydric soils

Hydric soils

• Tend to be saturated with water most of the time

• Usually low in air content

• Colored differently than other soils in the same region

• Completely different soil structure

• Mottled with white or gray coloring

• May be very yellow

• Structure may be sticky and wet rather than granular

Definitions

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers defines a jurisdictional wetland:

• An area that has frequent flooding or saturation, is covered by hydrophytes, and includes hydric soils

• The Corps is responsible for jurisdictional wetlands

Ecological Definition

• US Fish and Wildlife Service defines a wetland:

• Lands transitional between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface or the land is covered by shallow water.

Ecological Definition

• The USFWS definition is much broader than the legal definition used by the Corps of Engineers

• Ecological Wetlands may not have all three characteristics of the jurisdictional wetland

• The Corps would not consider a mudflat or a coral reef as a wetland but the USFWS would

History of Wetlands in the US

• Since the beginning of government in the US wetlands have been perceived as harsh, disgusting places everyone should avoid

• Considered a problem rather than an asset until the last half of the 1900’s

• In the 1770’s the District of Columbia was partially covered by swampland

• The land was drained and filled in to build the capital

• Southern Louisiana is designated as wetlands

• Citizens felt that building a city on a water crossroads site was important

• New Orleans is that city

• Still surrounded by various types of wetlands

• Leads to constant problems with flooding

• Hurricane Katrina

• Americans of 1700’s would never consider the Everglades a national treasure

• Social values change over time

Prior to the 1970’s

• Government authorized and subsidized draining of wetlands

• Practice began in 1849 with passage of the Swamp Lands Act for the state of Louisiana

• Later broadened to cover the entire US

• Act gave states permission to fill in and change areas that were “unfit for cultivation”

• In 1972 the government changed their policy about wetlands

• Took steps to protect and restore

• Requiring permits with Section 404 of the Clean Water Act

• Protected wetlands and allowed for restoration of degraded wetlands

Farm bill of 1985 and 1990

• “Swampbuster Provision”

• Required farmers to protect wetlands on their farm or ranch to be eligible for USDA farm program benefits

Wetland Identification

• Two most common techniques

• Off-site identification

• On-Site identification

Off-Site Identification

• Checking maps and wetland inventories

• Used as a screening device to find possible wetland locations

• Three principal resources for the landownder

• 1. USFWS

• Produces National Wetlands Inventory (NWI)

• Maps wetlands every ten years

• NWI is concerned with wetlands and open water in the US

• 2. National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Soil Survey List

• Maintains list of hydric soils

• County by county maps

• 3. US Geological Topography Maps

• Look at vegetative cover, surface characteristics, bogs, and marshes

• Uses specific terminologies

• What is growing on the land, standing water

On-Site Identification

• Location will determine what agency is responsible

• Dredging, filling or discharge – US Army Corps of Engineers

• Close to a lake or inland water - USFWS

• Agricultural lands and non ag lands that border ag lands – NRCS division of USDA

• On site inspection includes study of plants, soils and water supply

Types of Wetlands

• Marshes

• Throughout the US

• Freshwater, saltwater and tidal

• Florida Everglades – well known marsh

Floodplains

• Areas that border rivers, lakes and streams

• Are flooded periodically

• Mississippi River floodplain - most well known

• Last serious flood of MS floodplain was in 1993 – 500 year flood

Ponds

• May have wetlands around their edges

• May turn to marsh in times of drought

• Permanent body of water

• Not all lakes and ponds are wetlands

Rivers and Streams

• Not all rivers and streams are wetlands

• Some may move slow enough to allow certain types of vegetation to take over

• Slower and warmer water – more prolific plant life becomes

Swamps

• Types – Cypress, southern bottomland, hardwood, shrub, northern

• Differs on type of vegetation

• Same general characteristics of standing water with trees or shrubs growing in the water

Swamps

• Stagnant water tends to be dark and non translucent

• Great Dismal and Big Cypress – well known swamps

Bog

• Very damp, usually with evergreens present, floor covered with moss or peat

• Spongy walk

• Most located in the northeast and MI, WI and MN

• Acid loving plants

• Cranberries

Prairie Potholes

• Rely on periodic rainfall

• ND, SD, MN and NE

• Critical to water fowl habitat and migration

Vernal Pools

• May last for only a few months each year

• Rely on periodic rainfall

• Haven for amphibian species as they lack predators

• About 1/3 of all amphibians in the eastern US rely on vernal ponds as breeding sites

Status in the U.S.

• Estimated that there were over 200 million Acres of wetlands in the US in the 1600’s

• About half that area remains today

Major Causes-Loss of Wetland

• Urbanization

• Industry

• Agriculture

• Timber harvest

• Mining operations

Urbanization

• Construction of roads, parking lots, and buildings changes runoff patterns

• Materials carried by the runoff change water quality

Industry

• Increased water demands

• Discharge of warm water (thermal pollution)

• Change pH

• Pollutants from abandoned industry

Agriculture

• Draining wetland

• Encouraged producers not to graze wetlands

• Wastes contaminate the water

Timber Harvest

• Loss is only temporary

• Destruction usually lasts 3-5 years

• Use of heavy equipment effects the soil structure

Mining

• Mining of peat moss

• Used in horticulture industry as a planting medium

• Removal of vegetation and draining of water

Preservation

• Annual loss of wetlands 70,000-90,000 acres on non federal lands

• Amphibian habitat

• Early indicators of environmental problems

Natural Wetland Protection

• Most regulations are to prevent destruction of natural wetlands

• Regulate building of roads bridges and buildings

Construction

• Natural structures to treat all forms of water pollution

• Most municipalities use a wetland as a secondary treatment after primary removal of solid waste

• Wetland construction is less than water treatment facility

Restoration

• Some industry is required to restore the land

• Provide habitat for large variety of wildlife including mammals, fish, migratory game birds and waterfowl

Wetland Management

• Concern of many government and private agencies

• Private landowners cannot be forced to manage their wetland in any particular way

• Corps is working to tighten policies regarding wetlands

Personal Management

• Ideal – Leave the wetland alone

• Provide a buffer zone around the wetland

• Restoration may involve removal of non native plants, planting native trees, shrubs and other aquatic plants

• Create walkways

Other Gov’t Programs

• Numerous legislative acts to develop and protect wetlands

• 1972 – Clean Water Act - regulates wetlands of the US