Wetlands Final

Swamp Lands Act

A U.S. law passed in 1849 aimed at promoting the reclamation and settlement of swamp lands. It allowed states to drain and convert these lands into agricultural use.

Why has federal policy related to wetlands been so confusing lately?

Many different agencies w/ different objectives making different rules
No single unifying national wetland law in US

Section 404 Clean Water Act

regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters, including wetlands, requiring permits for such activities

Do WOTUS include wetlands? Why?

Yes, only if they have a continuous surface connection to navigable waters or adjacent

Why have there been several US supreme court cases regarding federal wetland regulation?

Due to the shifting definitions of WOTUS under Clean Water Act, pitting federal authority against private property rights

Sackett vs. EPA: whether wetlands lacking continuous surface connection to navigable waters can be federally regulated

Isolated vs. Adjacent Wetlands

Isolated: surrounded by uplands, lack direct surface connections to navigable waters

Adjacent: Directly border or are connected to navigable waters

Significant Nexus

Significantly affect the chemical, physical or biological integrity of other covered navigable waters

No Net Loss

Replace each impacted wetlands w/ a replacement wetland of the same size & w/ similar wetland functions & values

Sackett vs. EPA, How does it affect what wetlands are covered under Clean Water Act

Whether wetlands lacking continuous surface connection to navigable waters can be federally regulated

Removed protection for many wetlands, especially those separated by land barriers

Inland Wetlands

Defined by soil type, poorly drained, alluvial & floodplain soils

Who has jurisdiction of inland wetlands in Connecticut? That is, at what government level are decisions made about inland wetlands?

Municipalities regulate activities affecting inland wetlands & watercourses within towns

Wetland Mitigation

Wetlands must be created, restored, or enhanced to replace wetlands lost during development

Mitigation Ratio

Required proportion of restored, created, enhanced or preserved wetland area compared to the area of impacted wetland 1:1 to 10:1

Mitigation Banking

Created/restored wetland project that sells “credits” to developer to comply w/ regulatory agency

Supporting vs. Provisioning

Supporting: sustain >40% of T&E species, critical habitat for waterfowl & migrating birds, larval fish, mammals, amphibians, reptiles

Provisioning: products obtained from ecosystems (animal pelts, hunting, fish & shellfish, fiber, timber, fuel)

Regulating vs. Cultural

Regulating: benefits obtained from regulation of ecosystem processes (flood mitigation, erosion prevention, improving water quality, climate regulation)

Cultural: recreation, spiritual enrichment, cultural heritage

How do wetlands mitigate flooding?

They hold back floodwaters & slow the rate that water enters a river or stream, act as sponges

How do wetlands improve water quality?

1. Regulate water velocity

2. Shallow water

3. Aerobic/anaerobic processes

4. Large diversity of decomposers & decomposition processes

5. High productivity & peat accumulation

Restoration

Process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been damaged, degraded or destroyed

Creation

Converting a non-wetland to a wetland

Why are former cranberry bogs being restored? What are some of the challenges and opportunities associated with restoring these ecosystems?

Increase species richness, have lots of peat, water filtration

Challenges: securing funding, getting support, removing sand, permitting

Opportunities: add knowledge of how wetlands recover after agricultural use, better understand restoration outcomes

What is an emerging coastal marsh restoration approach to cope with rapidly rising seas? What are some key factors that managers need to consider when applying sediment to submerging marshes?

Sediment addition

Considerations: depth of sediment, sediment type, scale & configuration

May reduce methane but may promote N2O emissions, plant responses

What is the point of a “control” in an ecological restoration experiment?

Serves as a baseline for comparison

What is the most common management tool to deal with invasive plants? Why is it not particularly effective? What are some alternatives approaches? Strengths/weaknesses?

Chemical control but not effective because they can harm non-target species

Alternatives: mechanical (S: avoids non-target species, W: labor-intensive

Burning: S: highly effective, can open up habitat areas W: risks to non-target species, can cause air quality issues

Describe three ecological principles that are often ignored/violated during wetland restoration (Zedler 2000)

1. Disturbance regimes can increase species richness

2. Natural habitat types are appropriate reference systems

3. Seed banks & dispersal can limit recovery

Provide an example of how wetland restoration has progressed in the last 25 years

Focus on biodiversity rather than only planting one species

Wetland delineation- what is it, why necessary, what are basic criteria?

Delineation: to mark the outline of a wetland

Necessary?: determines whether necessary to obtain section 404 permit to dredge or fill wetland

Criteria: hydric soils? hydrophytic vegetation? wetland hydrology?

Indicators of Wetland hydrology

Watermarks, sediment deposits, drainage patterns

Indicators of Wetland Soils

Organic soils, sulfide material, gleyed, mottled, low chroma

Manual for Wetland Delineation

USACE_NE wetland delineation guide