8/12/2019 2005 01 12 Wetlands Overview

1/4

United StatesEnvironmentalProtection Agency

This forested wetland on the Chincoteague NationalWildlife Refuge on Virginias Eastern Shore is part of theAtlantic flyway, where shorebirds and waterfowl restbefore they migrate south for the winter.

Wetlands found in the United Stat es fallinto four general categoriesmarshes,swamps, bogs, and f ens. M arshes are w etlands

dominated by soft-stemmed vegetation, while

swamps have mostly w oody plants. Bogs are

freshw ater w etlands, of ten formed in old glacial

lakes, characterized by spongy peat deposits,

evergreen trees and shrubs, and a floor covered by

a thick carpet o f sphagnum moss. Fens are

freshwa ter peat-forming wetlands covered mostly

by grasses, sedges, reeds, and w ildflowers.

Good NewsOf ten called nurseries of life, w etlands

provide habitat for t housands of species of

aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals.

Although w etlands are best know n for being

home to w ater lilies, turt les, fro gs, snakes,

alligators, and cro codiles, they also provide

important habitat for w aterfowl, fish, and

mammals. M igrating birds use w etlands to rest

and f eed during their cross-continental journeys

and as nesting sites w hen they are a t home. As a

result, w etland loss has a serious impact on

these species. H abitat degrada tion since the

1970s has been a leading cause of species

extinction.

Dave

Dav

is

What Is a Wetland?

Alt hough wet lands are oft en wet , a wetland might not bewet year-round. In fact, some of the most impor tant

wet lands are only seasonal ly wet . Wet lands are the

li nk betw een t he land and the water. They are

t ransit ion zones where the fl ow of w ater, the cycli ng

of nut rients, and the energy of the sun meet to produce

a unique ecosystem characterized by hydrology, soi ls,

and vegetati onmaking these areas very impor tant

features of a watershed. Using a watershed-based

approach to wet land protection ensures that the whol e

system, includi ng land, air, and water resources, is protected.

Two-thirds of the 10 million to 12 millionwaterfowl of the continental United States

reproduce in the prairie potholewetlands of the Midwest. In thewinter millions of ducks like thesecan be found in the wetlands of thesouth-central United States.

A

watershed

includes all the

land that drai ns to

a common body of

water. Usin g a

watershed-based

approach to wetl and

pr otecti on ensur es that the whole ecosystem is prot ected.

I s there a wetl and

in your

neighborhood?

The best way to f in d out i ftheres a wet land in your

watershed or

neighborhood is to contact

your Natural Resources

Conservation Service of fice

or local publ ic works or

planning department. Most

have speciali sts trai ned in

ident i fy ing and del ineat-

ing w etlan ds. The U.S. Fish

and Wil dlife Services

Nat ional Wet land

Inventory maps can also

help. The m aps indicate

open water and l ikely

wetlan d areas. For copies,

call 1-888-ASK-USGS or

visi t the Nat ional Wet lands

Inventory web s i te at

www.nwi.fws.gov.

8/12/2019 2005 01 12 Wetlands Overview

2/4

Wetlands do more than provide habitat for

plants and animals in the wa tershed. When

rivers overflow, w etlands help to ab sorb and

slow floodw aters. This ability to control floods

can alleviate property d amage and loss and can

even save lives. Wetland s also ab sorb excess

nutrients, sediment, a nd o ther pollutants before

they reach rivers, lakes, and ot her waterbod ies.

They are great spots for f ishing, cano eing,hiking, and bird-w atching, and t hey make

w onderful outdo or classroo ms for people of all

ages.

Bad NewsD espite all the benefits provided by w etlands,

the United Stat es loses about 60,000 acres of

w etlands each year. The very runoff t hat

w etlands help to clean can overload and

contaminat e these fragile ecosystems. In

add ition, no nnative species of plant s and

animals and global climate change contribute to

wetland loss and degradation.

What Is EPA Doing to Protect

Wetlands?EPA has a number of programs for w etland

conservation, restoration, and monitoring. EPA,

along w ith the U.S. Army C orps of Engineers

(Corps), establishes environmenta l standards for

reviewing permits for d ischarges that affect w et-

lands, such as residential development, roads, and

levees. Under Section 404 of the C lean Water Act,

the Corps issues permits that meet environmental

standards (after allow ing the public to comment ).

Working Together to Protect and

Restore WetlandsIn addition to providing regulatory protection

for w etlands, EPA w orks in partnership with

states, tribes, and local governments, the private

sector, and citizen organizat ions to monito r,

protect, a nd restore these valuable habitats.EPA is helping stat es and t ribes incorporat e

wetland monitoring, protection, and restorat ion

into t heir w atershed plans. EPA is also

developing national guidance on w etland

restoration, as well as constructed wetlands

used to t reat storm w ater and sewage.

Na tionally, EPAs Five-Star Restoratio n Pro gram

provides grants and pro motes information

exchange through community-based education

and restorat ion pro jects.

EPA w orks with a var iety of other federal

agencies to protect and restore w etlands,including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the

U.S. D epartment of Agriculture, and the

Nat ional M arine Fisheries Service. EPA is

w orking w ith these agencies and o thers to

achieve an overall increase of w etlands over the

next five years. EPA also partners w ith private

interests and public organizatio ns like the

Association of State Wetland M anagers, the

Nat ional Association o f Counties, local

w atershed associations, schools, and universitie

to ad vance conservation and restoration

programs.

Living systems

cleanse water and

make i t f i t ,

among other

things, for human

consumption.

Elliot A. Norse,

in R.J. H oage, ed.,

Animal Extinctions,

1985, Smithsonian

Press.

The nation behaves wel l i f i t treats the

natural resources as assets which i t

must turn over to the next generati on

increased, and not impai red, in value.

Theodore Roosevel t , 1907

Yello

wi

ris

A freshwater poolat AssateagueNational Seashorein Virginia.

DaveD

av

is

8/12/2019 2005 01 12 Wetlands Overview

3/4

How Can I Help?First, identify your w atershed and find the

w etlands in your neighborhoo d. Learn more

about them and share what you learn w ith

someone you know ! Encourage neighbors,

developers, and stat e and local go vernments to

protect the functions and values of wetlands in

your w atershed.

To prevent wetland loss or degrada tion, f ollowthese simple guidelines:

Invest in wetland s by buying duck stamps.

Proceeds from th ese $15 migratory bird

hunting stamps support w etland acq uisition

and restoration. The stamps are available

on-line at the U. S. Fish and Wildlife

Services web site (www.fws.gov) or at your

local post office.

Instead of d raining or filling w etlands, f ind

more compatible uses, such as w aterfo w l

and w ildlife habitat.

When developing your landscaping plan,

keep wetlands in mind. Plan t native grasses

or fo rested buffer strips along w etlands on

your property to protect water quality.

Part icipate in a volunteer wetland

monitoring program.

Plan to avoid w etlands w hen developing or

improving a site. G et technical assistance

from your state environmental agency

before you alter a w etland.

M aintain wetlands and adjacent buffer

strips as open space.

Support your local w atershed association.

Plan a w etland program or invite a wetland

expert to speak at your school, club, youth

group, or pro fessional organization.

Build a w etland in your backyard. Learn

how by visiting the U.S. D epartment of

Agricultures web site at

www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/

If bottomland hardwood swamps areprotected, Bald Cypress trees like thesecan grow for more than 2000 years.

Dave

Dav

is

Dave

Dav

is

Wetland habitat along this Idaho ripariancorridor provides food and shelter for diversewildlife species.

Wetlands can be found in ever y county and

climatic zone in the Uni ted States.

Spottedturtle

8/12/2019 2005 01 12 Wetlands Overview

4/4

EPA 843-F-04-011aOffice of Water

December 2004

On the I nternet

EPAs Wetland H ome Page ............ ............. ............ ............. ............. ............. ..... w w w.epa.gov/ow ow /w etlands

USDAs Wetland Reserve Pro gram ............ ............. ............. ............ .......... w w w.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/w rp

The Association of State Wetland Ma nagers ............. ............. ............. .............. ............. ......... w w w.asw m.org

National Ma rine Fisheries Service R estoratio n C enter ........... .......... w w w.nmfs.noaa .gov/habitat/restorat ion

USDA NRC Ss Wetland Science Institute ............ ............ ............. ............ ............ .. w w w.pwrc.usgs.gov/WLI

National Wetlands Inventory Center ................................................................................... ww w.nwi.fw s.gov

Izaak Walton League ................................................................................................................. ww w.iwla.org

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ............. ............ ............. ............ ............. ............ ............. ............ w w w.fws.gov

Army C orps of Engineers ........... ............. ............ ............ ............. ............ ............ ........... w w w.usace.army.mil

USGS National Weltands Resources C enter ............ ............ ............. ............ ............ ....... w w w.nw rc.usgs.gov

U.S. Forest Service ............. ............ ............. ............ ............. ............. ............ ............. .......... w w w.usda.fs.gov

In Pri nt

Americas Wetl ands: Our vit al l ink betw een l and and water. Available on the Internet at w w w.epa.gov/ow ow /

w etlands/vita l/toc.html.

Our N ational Wetl and Heri tage: A Protection Guide,Jon Kusler and Teresa Opheim. Available fro m the

Association of State Wetland M anagers. C all (518) 872-1804 or visit ww w.asw m.org .

Wetlands, 3rd edition, William J. Mitsch and Ja mes G . G osselink. Available from the Association of State

Wetland M anagers. C all (518) 872-1804 or visit w w w.asw m.org.

H istory of Wet lands in the Cont ermi nous Uni ted States: N ati onal Water Summary on Wet land Resources,

U.S. G eological Survey Water Supply Paper 2425. Available from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at

w etlands.fw s.gov/bha or fro m the U.S. G eological Survey at water.usgs.gov/nw sum/WSP2425/history.html.

National Wet lands Status and Trends Study and Repor t for the Year 2000. Available from the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service at w etlands.fw s.gov/bha.

Recognizing Wet lands. Available from the U.S. Army C orps of Engineers at w w w.w es.army.mil/el/w etlands.

AmericanAvocet

EPA 843-F-04-011aOffice of Water

December 2004