america’s wetlands · state, and local agencies; developers; farmers; foresters; environmental...

OUR VITAL

LINK

BETWEEN

LAND

AND WATER

America'sWetlands

United StatesEnvironmental ProtectionAgency

Office of WaterOffice of Wetlands,Oceans and Watersheds (4502F)

U.S. EPA Involvement

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), inpartnership with other federal agencies, and state, local, andtribal governments, is responsible for restoring andmaintaining the chemical, physical, and biological integrityof the nation’s waters. Because of the value and function ofwetlands as an integral part of those waters, EPA is alsocharged with protecting wetland resources. The major federalregulatory tool for this is Section 404 of the Clean WaterAct, which is jointly administered by the U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers and EPA. Section 404 establishes a permitprogram to regulate the discharge of dredged or fill materialinto waters of the United States, including most wetlands.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National MarineFisheries Service have important advisory roles in the permitreview process under the Clean Water Act, and the NaturalResources Conservation Service has the lead responsibility foridentifying wetlands on agricultural lands.

EPA recognizes that a truly effective program to protect ournation’s wetlands must include supplemental approaches tothe Clean Water Act, along with the cooperation of federal,state, and local agencies; developers; farmers; foresters;environmental groups; the scientific community; and the public.Active citizen support and participation is an essentialingredient of such a program.

EPA uses a number of non-regulatory programs to supplementthe Section 404 program: a contractor-operated telephonehotline to allow easy access to the EPA for information aboutwetlands (see back cover); distribution of publications andfact sheets about wetlands; partnerships with privatelandowners and state and local governments; comprehensivewatershed planning; education programs for the public; andsupport of efforts to improve wetlands management (e.g.,workshops, conferences, and research). The EPA is alsoinvolved in a long-term project to monitor and assess theecological resources of our country.

For more information, contact the EPA Wetlands Information Hotline

Great Blue Heron U.S. FWS, Herb Stein

and disease. People thought of wet-lands as places to avoid or, better yet,eliminate. Largely because of thisnegative view, more than half ofAmerica’s original wetlands havebeen destroyed—drained and con-verted to farmland, filled for hous-ing developments and industrialfacilities, or used to dispose of house-hold and industrial waste.

As people understand ecologicalprocesses better, attitudes towardswetlands change. We now know that

Wetlands are indeed the vital linkbetween water and land. “Wetlands”is the collective term for marshes,swamps, bogs, and similar areasfound in generally flat vegetated ar-eas, in depressions in the landscape,and between dry land and wateralong the edges of streams, rivers,lakes, and coastlines. Wetlands canbe found in nearly every county andclimatic zone in the United States.Most likely, a wetland exists in yourneighborhood or very close to it.Because they are so varied, wetlandscan be difficult to recognize. Someare wet all of the time; some may lookcompletely dry most of the time.Our ideas of what a wetland shouldlook like may not include all typesof wetlands. Some wetlands are largeand some are very small. Many havebeen altered by human activities suchas farming, ranching, and the build-ing of roads, dams, and towns.

Wetlands have often been re-garded as wastelands — sources ofmosquitoes, flies, unpleasant odors,

America’s

Wetlands

wetlands are, in fact, valuable natu-ral resources. Whether drier or wet-ter, bigger or smaller, wetlandsprovide important benefits to peopleand the environment. Wetlands helpregulate water levels within water-sheds; improve water quality; reduceflood and storm damages; provideimportant fish and wildlife habitat;and support hunting, fishing, andother recreational activities. Wet-lands are natural wonderlands ofgreat value.

Reading this booklet will give youa better understanding of the rich va-riety of wetlands, their importance,how they are threatened, and whatcan be done to conserve them forfuture generations.

U.S. FWSPrairie Pothole Wetlands

Forested Wetland EPA Region 1

lands are recognized: coastal or tidalwetlands and inland or non-tidal wet-lands.

Coastal wetlands in the UnitedStates, as their name suggests, arefound along the Atlantic, Pacific,Alaskan, and Gulf coasts. They areclosely linked to our nation's estuar-ies, where sea water mixes with freshwater to form an environment ofvarying salinities. The salt water andthe fluctuating water levels (due totidal action) combine to create arather difficult environment for mostplants. Consequently, many shallowcoastal areas are unvegetated mudflats or sand flats. Some plants, how-ever, have successfully adapted to thisenvironment. Certain grasses andgrasslike plants that adapt to the sa-

line conditions form the tidal saltmarshes that are found along the At-lantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts. Man-grove swamps, with salt-loving shrubsor trees, are common in tropical cli-mates, such as in southern Florida andPuerto Rico. Some tidal freshwaterwetlands form beyond the upperedges of tidal salt marshes where theinfluence of salt water ends.

Inland wetlands are most commonon floodplains along rivers andstreams (riparian wetlands), in iso-lated depressions surrounded by dryland (for example, playas, basins, and“potholes”), along the margins oflakes and ponds, and in other low-lying areas where the groundwater in-tercepts the soil surface or whereprecipitation sufficiently saturates the

Wetlands are areas where watercovers the soil, or is present either ator near the surface of the soil all yearor for varying periods of time duringthe year, including during the grow-ing season. Water saturation (hy-drology) largely determines how thesoil develops and the types of plantand animal communities living in andon the soil. Wetlands may supportboth aquatic and terrestrial species.The prolonged presence of water cre-ates conditions that favor the growthof specially adapted plants (hydro-phytes) and promote the develop-ment of characteristic wetland(hydric) soils.

Wetlands vary widely because ofregional and local differences in soils,topography, climate, hydrology, wa-ter chemistry, vegetation, and otherfactors, including human distur-bance. Indeed, wetlands are foundfrom the tundra to the tropics andon every continent except Antarc-tica. Two general categories of wet-

What are

Wetlands?


• bogs and fens of the northeastern andnorth-central states and Alaska

• wet meadows or wet prairies in theMidwest

• inland saline and alkaline marshes andriparian wetlands of the arid andsemiarid west

• prairie potholes of Iowa, Minnesotaand the Dakotas

• alpine meadows of the west• playa lakes of the southwest and Great

Plains• bottomland hardwood swamps

of the south• pocosins and Carolina Bays of the

southeast coastal states• tundra wetlands of Alaska.

Many of these wetlands are sea-sonal (they are dry one or more sea-sons every year), and, particularly inthe arid and semiarid West, may bewet only periodically. The quantityof water present and the timing ofits presence in part determine thefunctions of a wetland and its role inthe environment. Even wetlands thatappear dry for a few months — suchas vernal pools — often provide criti-cal habitat for wildlife adapted tobreeding exclusively in these areas.

Seasonal Wetland in Summer

Seasonal Wetland in Spring

soil (vernal pools and bogs). Inlandwetlands include marshes and wetmeadows dominated by herbaceousplants, swamps dominated byshrubs, and wooded swamps domi-nated by trees. Certain types of in-land wetlands are common toparticular regions of the country:

Riparian Wetland EPA Region 8, Paul McIver

complex, dynamic relationshipsamong the organisms inhabiting thewetland environment are referred toas food webs. (see illustrationbelow).This is why wetlands inTexas, North Carolina, and Alaskadiffer from one another.

Wetlands can be thought of as“biological supermarkets.” They pro-vide great volumes of food that at-tract many animal species. Theseanimals use wetlands for part of orall of their life-cycle. Dead plantleaves and stems break down in thewater to form small particles of or-ganic material called “detritus.” Thisenriched material feeds many smallaquatic insects, shellfish, and smallfish that are food for larger preda-tory fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds,and mammals.

Wetlands are among the most pro-ductive ecosystems in the world,comparable to rain forests and coralreefs. An immense variety of spe-cies of microbes, plants, insects, am-phibians, reptiles, birds, fish, andmammals can be part of a wetlandecosystem. Physical and chemicalfeatures such as climate, landscapeshape (topology), geology, and themovement and abundance of waterhelp to determine the plants and ani-mals that inhabit each wetland. The

Wetlands

and Nature The functions of a wetland and thevalues of these functions to humansociety depend on a complex set ofrelationships between the wetlandand the other ecosystems in the wa-tershed. A watershed is a geographicarea in which water, sediments, anddissolved materials drain from higherelevations to a common low-lyingoutlet or basin — a point on a largerstream, lake, underlying aquifer, orestuary.

Wetlands play an integral role inthe ecology of the watershed. Thecombination of shallow water, high

Wetlands support a rich foodweb, from microscopic algaeand dragonfly larvae toalligators and black bears. Mark Sharp

levels of nutrients, and primary pro-ductivity is ideal for the developmentof organisms that form the base ofthe food web and feed many speciesof fish, amphibians, shellfish, and in-sects. Many species of birds andmammals rely on wetlands for food,water, and shelter, especially duringmigration and breeding.

Wetlands’ microbes, plants, andwildlife are part of global cycles forwater, nitrogen, and sulfur. Further-more, scientists are beginning to re-alize that atmospheric maintenancemay be an additional wetlands func-tion. Wetlands store carbon withintheir plant communities and soil in-stead of releasing it to the atmo-sphere as carbon dioxide. Thuswetlands help to moderate global cli-mate conditions.

Bottomland Hardwood Swamp Todd Votteler


High Mountain Valley Wetland at 10,000 Feet

study showed that, without theCongaree Bottomland HardwoodSwamp in South Carolina, the areawould need a $5 million waste watertreatment plant.

In addition to improving waterquality through filtering, some wet-lands maintain stream flow duringdry periods, and many replenishgroundwater. Many Americans de-pend on groundwater for drinking.

Flood ProtectionWetlands function as natural

sponges that trap and slowly releasesurface water, rain, snowmelt,groundwater and flood waters. Trees,root mats, and other wetland vegeta-tion also slow the speed of floodwaters and distributethem more slowly overthe floodplain. Thiscombined water stor-age and braking actionlowers flood heightsand reduces erosion.Wetlands within anddownstream of urbanareas are particularlyvaluable, counteracting the greatlyincreased rate and volume of surface-water runoff from pavement andbuildings.

The holding capacity of wetlandshelps control floods and preventswater logging of crops. Preserving

Wetlands

and People

Only recently have we begun tounderstand the importance of thefunctions that wetlands perform. Farfrom being useless, disease-riddenplaces, wetlands provide values thatno other ecosystem can, includingnatural water quality improvement,flood protection, shoreline erosioncontrol, opportunities for recreationand aesthetic appreciation, and natu-ral products for our use at no cost.Wetlands can provide one or moreof these functions. Protecting wet-lands in turn can protect our safetyand welfare.

Water Quality and HydrologyWetlands have important filtering

capabilities for intercepting surface-water runoff from higher dry land be-fore the runoff reaches open water.As the runoff water passes through,the wetlands retain excess nutrientsand some pollutants, and reducesediment that would clog waterwaysand affect fish and amphibian egg de-velopment. In performing this filter-ing function, wetlands save us a greatdeal of money. For example, a 1990

Kelly Drake

Otter

Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.


and restoring wetlands,together with other wa-ter retention, can oftenprovide the level offlood control otherwise

provided by expensive dredge opera-tions and levees. The bottomlandhardwood-riparian wetlands alongthe Mississippi River once stored atleast 60 days of floodwater. Nowthey store only 12 days because mosthave been filled or drained.

Shoreline ErosionThe ability of wetlands to control

erosion is so valuable that some statesare restoring wetlands in coastal ar-eas to buffer the storm surges fromhurricanes and tropical storms. Wet-lands at the margins of lakes, rivers,bays, and the ocean protect shore-lines and stream banks against ero-sion. Wetland plants hold the soilin place with their roots, absorb theenergy of waves, and break up theflow of stream or river currents.

Fish and Wildlife HabitatMore than one-third of the United

States’ threatened and endangeredspecies live only in wetlands, and

Heron Bolivar Flats, TX

nearly half use wetlands at somepoint in their lives. Many other ani-mals and plants depend on wetlandsfor survival.

Estuarine and marine fish andshellfish, various birds, and certainmammals must have coastal wet-lands to survive. Most commercialand game fish breed and raise theiryoung in coastal marshes and estu-aries. Menhaden, flounder, seatrout, spot, croaker, and striped bassare among the more familiar fishthat depend on coastal wetlands.Shrimp, oysters, clams, and blueand Dungeness crabs likewise needthese wetlands for food, shelter, andbreeding grounds.

For many animals and plants, likewood ducks, muskrat, cattails, andswamp rose, inland wetlands are theonly places they can live. Beavermay actually create their own wet-lands. For others, such as stripedbass, peregrine falcon, otter, blackbear, raccoon, and deer, wetlandsprovide important food, water, orshelter. Many of the U.S. breed-ing bird populations—includingducks, geese, woodpeckers, hawks,wading birds, and many song-

U.S. EPA, Steve DelaneyShrimp Harvest

birds—feed, nest, and raise theiryoung in wetlands. Migratory wa-terfowl use coastal and inland wet-lands as resting, feeding, breeding,or nesting grounds for at least partof the year. Indeed, an internationalagreement to protect wetlands of in-ternational importance was devel-oped because some species ofmigratory birds are completely de-pendent on certain wetlands andwould become extinct if those wet-lands were destroyed.

Alligator

Natural Products for OurEconomy

We use a wealth of natural prod-ucts from wetlands, including fishand shellfish, blueberries, cranber-ries, timber, and wild rice, as well asmedicines that are derived fromwetland soils and plants. Many ofthe nation’s fishing and shellfishingindustries harvest wetland-depen-dent species; the catch is valued at

Recreation and AestheticsWetlands have recreational, his-

torical, scientific, and cultural values.More than half of all U.S. adults (98million) hunt, fish, birdwatch or pho-tograph wildlife. They spend a totalof $59.5 billion annually. Paintersand writers continue to capture thebeauty of wetlands on canvas andpaper, or through cameras, and videoand sound recorders. Others appre-ciate these wonderlands through hik-ing, boating, and other recreationalactivities. Almost everyone likes be-ing on or near the water; part of theenjoyment is the varied, fascinatinglifeforms.

$15 billion a year. In the Southeast,for example, nearly all the commer-cial catch and over half of the recre-ational harvest are fish and shellfishthat depend on the estuary-coastalwetland system. Louisiana’s coastalmarshes produce an annual commer-cial fish and shellfish harvest thatamounted to 1.2 billion poundsworth $244 million in 1991. Wet-lands are habitats for fur-bearers likemuskrat, beaver, and mink as well asreptiles such as alligators. Thenation’s harvest of muskrat pelts aloneis worth over $70 million annually.

Hunting in a Wetland Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.

U.S. EPA


Major Causes of WetlandLoss and Degradation

Human ActionsDrainageDredging and stream channelizationDeposition of fill materialDiking and dammingTilling for crop productionLeveesLoggingMiningConstructionRunoffAir and water pollutantsChanging nutrient levelsReleasing toxic chemicalsIntroducing nonnative speciesGrazing by domestic animals

Natural ThreatsErosionSubsidenceSea level riseDroughtsHurricanes and other storms

acres of wetlands are thought to haveexisted in the lower 48 states. Sincethen, extensive losses have occurred,with many of the original wetlandsdrained and converted to other uses.From the 1950s to the 1970s was atime of major wetlands loss, but since

Percentage of Wetlands Acreage Lost, 1780's-1980's

Current SituationThe lower 48 states contained an

estimated 103.3 million acres of wet-lands in the mid-1980s. This is anarea about the size of California. Anestimated 170-200 million acres ofwetland exist in Alaska — coveringslightly more than half of the state— while Hawaii has 52,000 acres.Next to Alaska, Florida (11 million),Louisiana (8.8 million), Minnesota(8.7 million), and Texas (7.6 million)have the largest wetland acreage.

In the 1600s, over 220 million

Twenty-two states have lost at least 50 percent of their original wetlands. Seven states- Indiana, Illinois, Missouri,Kentucky, Iowa, California, and Ohio have lost over 80 percent of their original wetlands. Since the 1970s, the mostextensive losses of wetlands have been in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Status and

Trends

Peat Mining in a Wetland/Montane EPA Region 8, Paul McIver

water. Global climate change couldaffect wetlands through increased airtemperature; shifts in precipitation;increased frequency of storms,droughts, and floods; increased at-mospheric carbon dioxide concentra-tion; and sea level rise. All of theseimpacts could affect species compo-sition and wetland functions.

Extent of Wetlands in the Lower 48 States

Draining Wetlands for Irrigation Dick Gersib

that time the rate of loss has de-creased. Today, less than half of ouroriginal wetlands remain, and recenttrend estimates show that wetlandsare still being degraded and lost.Recent estimates on non-federal landindicate that the rate of loss is be-tween 70,000 and 90,000 acres an-nually.

Between the mid-1970s and themid-1980s, approximately 3.3 mil-lion acres of inland freshwater wet-lands were destroyed, and theamount of coastal wetlands de-

creased by 71,000 acres. In-land forested wetlands, pri-marily in the southeast,were impacted the mostduring this time, with a lossof 2.5 million acres. Ap-proximately 900,000 acreswere converted from for-ested wetlands to other wet-land types (through loggingand other activity). Conver-sion to agricultural use wasresponsible for 54 percentof the losses, drainage forurban development for 5percent, and developmentfor 41 percent. In addition to theselosses, many other wetlands have suf-fered degradation of functions, al-though calculating the magnitude ofthe degradation is difficult.

These losses, as well as degrada-tion, have greatly diminished ournation’s wetlands resources; as a re-sult, we no longer have the benefitsthey provided. The increase in flooddamages, drought damages, and thedeclining bird populations are, inpart, the result of wetlands degrada-tion and destruction.

Wetlands have been degraded inways that are not as obvious as di-rect physical destruction or degra-dation. Other threats have includedchemical contamination, excess nu-trients, and sediment from air and

Source: Dahl and Johnson. 1991. Wetlands Status and Trends in the Coterminous

Siting Industrial Operations in a Wetland Todd Votteler

As water, sediments, and nutrients movethrough watersheds, different wetlandsperform different functions, but all contributeto the ecosystem.


Inland Marsh Todd Votteler

(for example, establishing nationalwildlife refuges). You can find outmore about these mechanisms bycalling the Wetlands Hotline (1-800-832-7828).

Beyond the federal level, a num-ber of states have enacted laws toregulate activities in wetlands, andsome counties and towns haveadopted local wetlands protection or-dinances or have changed the waydevelopment is permitted. Mostcoastal states have significantly re-duced losses of coastal wetlandsthrough protective laws. Few states,however, have laws specifically regu-lating activities in inland wetlands,although some states and local gov-ernments have non-regulatory pro-

The federal government protectswetlands through regulations (like Sec-tion 404 of the Clean Water Act),economic incentives and disincentives (forexample, tax deductions for sellingor donating wetlands to a qualifiedorganization and the “Swampbuster”provisions of the Food Security Act),cooperative programs, and acquisition

Wetlands

Protection

share limited resources to find thebest solutions to protect and restoreAmerica’s natural resources.

While regulation, economic incen-tives, and acquisition programs areimportant, they alone cannot protectthe majority of our remaining wet-lands. Education of the public and ef-forts in conjunction with states, localgovernments,and privatecitizens arehelping to pro-tect wetlandsand to increaseappreciation ofthe functionsand values ofwetlands. Therate of wet-lands loss hasbeen slowing,but we still

grams that help pro-tect wetlands.

Recently, partner-ships to managewhole watershedshave developed

among federal, state, tribal, and lo-cal governments; nonprofit organi-zations; and private landowners. Thegoal of these partnerships is to imple-ment comprehensive, integrated wa-tershed protection approaches. Awatershed approach recognizes theinter-

connectedness of water, land,

and wetlands resources and results inmore complete solutions that addressmore of the factors causing wetlanddegradation. The governmentachieves the restoration of former ordegraded wetlands under the CleanWater Act Section 404 program aswell as through watershed protectioninitiatives. Together, partners can

U.S. FWS, Tim McCabWood Ducks

Jennifer Matchett


How Can I Make a Difference?

• Get involved — find out where wetlands existnear your home, try to learn more about them,and support educational efforts.

• Support wetlands and watershed protection ini-tiatives by public agencies and private organi-zations.

• Purchase federal duck stamps from your localpost office to support wetland acquisition.

• Participate in the Clean Water Act Section 404program and state regulatory programs by re-viewing public notices and, in appropriate cases,commenting on permit applications.

• Encourage neighbors, developers, and state andlocal governments to protect the function andvalue of wetlands in your watershed.

• Rather than draining or filling wetlands, seekcompatible uses involving minimal wetland al-teration, such as waterfowl production, fur har-vest, hay and forage, wild rice production,hunting and trapping leases, and selective tim-ber harvest.

• Select upland rather than wetlands sites for de-velopment projects and avoid wetland alterationor degradation during project construction.

• Maintain wetlands and adjacent buffer strips asopen space.

• Learn more about wetland restoration activitiesin your area; seek and support opportunities torestore degraded wetlands.

• In New England, participate in EPA's "Adopt-a-Wetland" program.

have work to do. You can be a part.Approximately 75 percent of wet-lands are privately owned, so indi-vidual landowners are critical inprotecting these national treasures.

What You Can DoDespite the efforts of governments

and private conservation organiza-tions, pressures that destroy wetlandswill continue. The problems of deg-radation of wetlands from pollution,urban encroachment, groundwaterwithdrawals, partial drainage, andother actions also require attention.

Many opportunities exist for pri-vate citizens, corporations, govern-ment agencies, and other groups towork together to slow the rate of wet-land loss and to improve the qualityof our remaining wetlands. First,state and local governments need tobe encouraged to establish programsto effectively protect wetlands, espe-cially inland wetlands, within theirborders. Second, because individuallandowners and corporations ownmany of the nation’s wetlands, theyare in a key position to determine the

fate of wetlands on their properties.Finally, all citizens, whether or notthey own wetlands, can help protectwetlands by supporting wetlandsconservation initiatives.

Wetlands are an important part ofour national heritage. Our economicwell-being and quality of life largelydepend on our nation’s wealth ofnatural resources, and wetlands arethe vital link between our land andwater resources. As wetlands are lost,the remaining wetlands become evenmore valuable. We have already lostmany of our nation’s wetlands sinceAmerica was first settled. We mustnow take positive steps to protectwetlands to ensure that the functionsand related values they provide willbe preserved for present and futuregenerations.

EPA Region 1John F. Kennedy Federal BuildingOne Congress StreetBoston, MA 02203Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine,New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont(617)565-3420

EPA Region 2290 BroadwayNew York, NY 10007-1866New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico,Virgin Islands(212)637-3000

EPA Region 3841 Chestnut StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19107Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia,West Virginia, District of Columbia(215)597-9800

EPA Region 4345 Courtland Street, N.E.Atlanta, GA 30365Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina,Tennessee(404)347-4727

EPA Region 577 West Jackson BoulevardChicago, IL 60604Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio,Wisconsin(312)353-2000

Regional Offices

Cover Photos: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Sandhill Cranes Lake Andes NWR, Gary Zahn

EPA HeadquartersOffice of Wetlands, Oceans and WatershedsWetlands Division (4502F)401 M Street SWWashington DC 20460

EPA Region 61445 Ross Avenue, Suite 900Dallas, TX 75202Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico,Oklahoma, Texas(214)655-6444

EPA Region 7726 Minnesota AvenueKansas City, KS 66101Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska(913)551-7000

EPA Region 8999 18th Street, Suite 500Denver CO 80202Colorado, Montana, North Dakota,South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming(303)293-1603

EPA Region 975 Hawthorne StreetSan Francisco, CA 94105Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada,American Samoa, Guam, Palau,Northern Mariana Islands(415)744-1305

EPA Region 101200 Sixth AvenueSeattle, WA 98101Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington(206)553-1200 Additional information concerning wetlands protection can be

obtained from the EPA Wetlands Hotline (contractor operated)at (800) 832-7828 from 9:oo am to 5:00 pm EST.E-mail address: [email protected]

america’s wetlands · state, and local agencies; developers; farmers; foresters; environmental...

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