What is a Wetland?

Wetland Definition:

Overview

• Established definition and criteria used by government and scientists
• Corps Delineation Manual most widely used guidance
• Wetland Definition was reviewed and confirmed by National Academy of Sciences in mid 1990’s

Wetland Criteria

• Water -flooded or saturated during growing season
• Soils -soils that indicate wet conditions
• Plants -plants that typically grow in wetlands

Water

• Flooded, ponded or saturated
• Extended period during the growing season
• Biological growing season, not agronomic
• Soils can still be saturated with a water table 1 foot or more below the surface

Soils

• Must show signs of being a wetland (hydric) soil
• Mottling
• Color
• deep organic layer
• Very specific criteria must be used to determine if soil is hydric

Plants

• Must be plants typically found in wetlands
• All plants have been assigned an “indicator status”
• Look to see if majority are wetland plants

Disturbed Situations

• Make wetland determinations more difficult
• May have to rely on just one or two of the wetland criteria, usually soils
• May end up with a larger area determined as wetland

Summary

• NRCS can provide this service to USDA program participants
• Use specific criteria to determine if an area is wetland
• Does not have to have “standing” water to be a wetland
• Always best to have determinations conducted prior to manipulating