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What
is a Wetland?
Inland
Wetlands
Where
are all the Wetlands?
Wetlands
for the Future
People
and Wetlands
Classroom
Activities
Wetlands
Facts
Wetlands
Links
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Wetland Definitions!
Lands
where saturation with water is the dominant factor
determining the nature of soil development and the
types of plant and animal communities living in the
soil and on its surface.
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.
Areas
that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater
at a frequency and duration sufficient to support,
and that under normal circumstance do support, a prevalence
of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated
soil conditions.
Ecosystems
having shallow water standing above the soil surface
or having a soil saturated with water for periods
of time that are sufficient to produce characteristic
soils or vegetation. Areas that, whether or not they
are covered by surface water, have at least periodically
water-logged soil.
In
general terms,...soil or substrate that is at least
periodically saturated with or covered by water. The
water creates severe physiological problems for all
plants and animals except those that are adapted for
life in water or in saturated soil.
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What
Is a Wetland?
Scientists,
politicians, environmentalists, ranchers, farmers, and developers
have all been debating the definition of a wetland for more
than five decades. In fact there are over 50 official
definitions for Wetlands! With variety like this, it's
no wonder that wetlands can be confusing and controversial!
Although
more than 50 official definitions of wetlands exist, two
used by the U.S. Government define wetlands according to
federal law. These two definitions agree that a wetland
contains specific:
- Hydrology
(amount and period of time that water is present).
- Hydrophytic
vegetation (plants adapted to wet soil).
- Hydric
soils (soils low or absent in oxygen due to their
saturation in water).
The
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) says an area need have
only one of these conditions to be considered a wetland!
The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) says an area must have
all three conditions before it is considered a wetland!
The
Corps administers the wetlands provisions of the federal
Clean Water Act , so its definition
is the one most used by the federal, state, and local
governments.
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OFFICIAL
DEFINITION
The definition, as published in the 1987 Corps of
Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual, says:
Wetlands
are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater
at a frequency and duration sufficient to support,
and that under normal circumstances do support,
a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for
life in saturated soil conditions.
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Think
about the kinds of places that this definition may include.
Consider
the Palouse Country of eastern Washington and western Idaho.
Its rolling terrain resulted, in part, from the catastrophic
floods as ice dams rose and released millions of gallons
of water during the retreat of glaciers.
You'll
find potholes here — little dips and pockets in the
land where water collects. You'll also find riverside wetlands
along the Columbia, the Snake and their tributaries. And
as you ascend the mountains that border the Palouse, you'll
find wetlands scattered through the forests.
Identifying
Wetlands
Your senses can help identify wetlands. Check the soil:
Is it damp to the touch? Does it glisten with liquid? Can
you literally squeeze the water out? Do you see plants,
such as sedges or cattails, that are adapted for living
in wet soil? Do you hear frogs or see salamanders?
 But
what if that pothole or pond has already dried up for the
season. How might you identify it as a wetland? Observe
the area carefully. Is the surface cracked, as when mud
dries? Or is it damp beneath the surface? Look for signs
of higher water such as water marks on the shrubs, trees,
or rocks; grasses and twigs collected at the base of other
plants; leaves coated with a thin layer of sediment.
If the area shows these signs it is probably a wetland.
Learn
More About What is a Wetland...
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