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WetlandsA Component o an Integrated Farming Operation
A Publication Written and Produced by theConservation Technology Inormation Center
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Produced in September 2008 through Cooperative Agree-
ment Number X7-83163101-0 between the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency and the Conservation Technol-
ogy Inormation Center.
Conservation Technology Inormation Center (CTIC)
is a not-or-proft organization dedicated to advancing
reliable, proftable solutions or improving the relation-
ship between agriculture and the environment. CTIC
provides inormation, education, training and consulting
services to members and partners working to increase
conservation and improve profts in agriculture.
3495 Kent Avenue, Suite J100
West Laayette, Indiana 47906-1073
Tel: 765.494.9555
E-mail: ctic@conservationinormation.org
Web: www.conservationinormation.org
The Conservation Technology Inormation Center has
compiled this document to highlight success stories in
wetland restoration across the country. It is designed to
provide armers and others a greater understanding o the
technical and social aspects o wetland restoration, in-
cluding the many options available to armers interested in
restoring wetlands on their property. Mention o organiza-
tions or products in this document does not const itute en-
dorsement by CTIC or the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency but is intended to provide inormation, resources
and/or assistance the users may then evaluate in terms
o their own needs. CTIC prohibits discrimination on the
basis o race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age,
disability, political belies, sexual orientation and marital or
amily status. Cover Photos: Steve Werblow.
The Conservation Technology Information Center thanks
Dr. Norman Melvin of the Natural Resources Conserva-
tion Service and Dr. Daryl Jones of Mississippi State Uni-
versity for their help with the text of this document.
Design: Davis Design Partners
Photography: Steve Werblow, except where noted
Illustration: Eden Beth Gallanter
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Introduction
Weve come a long way rom thinking o wetlands as the enemy.The growing understanding o
the dramatic roles that wetlands play in saeguarding water quality and protecting working land is
complemented by a growing appreciation or the subtleties o dierent wetland environments. Wet-
lands are as unique as the land theyre situated upon, as individual as your arm or ranch.
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Our ShrinkingWe t l a ndsIn the Lower 48 states, more than half of
the wetlands that existed when the Pilgrims
landed have been drained or converted to
other uses. Nearly half of the states have lost
more than 50 percent of their wetlands, and
some, including California, Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri and Ohio, have lost
more than 80 percent.
And despite a growing awareness of the
importance of wetlands, the contiguous U.S.
lost nearly 60,000 acres of wetlands per year
between 1986 and 1997. The good news i s
that the rate of loss was about 10 percent of
what it had been in the previous few decades.The bad news is that lost wetlands represent
lost benets to the land and the ecosystem.
More recent informationstudies in 2004 and
2006indicate that we are now restoring the
same number of wetland acres per year that
we are losing.
Protecting, restoring or enhancing a wet-
land on your farm reverses a tragic trend, and
could offer signicant advantageson the
farm level as well as the ecosystem level.
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Wetlands A Component o an Integrated Farming Operation/ 2 /
What is a Wetland?T bc w, b U.S. E Pc Ac (EPA),
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he Dein itiono WetlandsThe U.S. EPA denes wetlands as follows,
after specically excluding prior converted
cropland:
40 CFR 230.3(t) The term wetlands
means those areas that are inundated
or saturated by surace or ground water
at a requency and duration suicient
to support, and that under normal
circumstances do support, a prevalenceo vegetation typically adapted or lie
in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands
generally include swamps, marshes,
bogs and similar areas.
Water constantly works its way through a
hydrologic cycle of evaporation, precipitation,
inltration and percolation. Wetlands perform
vital roles in all aspects of the cycle, including
capturing rain so it can recharge groundwa-
ter supplies.
The Hydrologic Cycle
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Prairie potholes, Minnesota.
According to the Izaak Walton
League, more than 300 spe-
cies of birds rely on these vital
watering holes in the Upper Mid-
west; 50 to 80 percent of North
Americas migrating waterfowl
use them.
Wet meadows, southern Colo-
rado. Critical wildlife (and live-
stock) feeding grounds as otherarid highland soils dry up.
Playas, New Mexico. Shallow,
rain-and-snow-fed wetlands in
the southernHigh Plains feed
more than 1 million ducks, as well
as hundreds of thousands more
birds, along the Central Flyway.
Emergent marshes (or hemi-
marshes), Illinois. These wet-
lands, marked by a combination
of open water and stands of
grass, sedge or rush, are impor-tant breeding grounds for plants
and animals, and valuable feed-
ing grounds for the creatures
that prey upon them.
Mangrove swamps, Florida.
Strong roots and complex eco-
systems support wildlife and
protect coastal property.
The Rainwater Basin,
Nebraska. Wetlands covering
17 counties in south-central
Nebraska nurture migratory
birds, including sandhill cranes,
as well as raptors and other
species.
Kettle bogs, Massachusetts.
These rain-fed remnants of
glacial scouring are oases for
wildlife, as well as rare plants.
Pocosins, North Carolina.
With their abundant crops of
wild berries, these thickly veg-
etated depressions are loaded
with wildlife, from salamanders
to songbirds to bears.
Riparian belts,
Oregon.Streambanks provide water for
vegetation that, in turn, shades
the water and keeps it cool
enough for young sh, including
trout and salmon. The vegeta-
tion can also support wildlife
and livestock.
Green tree reservoirs,
Mississippi. Carefully managed
ooded dormant hardwood
stands shelter nesting and
foraging waterfowl.
Vernal pools, Ohio and
California. Seasonally wet
vernal pools lack sh, which
makes them perfect breeding
grounds for amphibians
and crustaceans that thrive
without predation.
Some Common ypes o Wetl andsWetlands are as diverse as the landscapes they occupy. Here are some examples of invaluable freshwater
wetland habitats around the country:
Wherever you farm, theres likely to be a type of wetland native to your area. And chances are, your work
protecting or enhancing it could have a tremendous impact on your local environmentand an impact that may
be felt from pole to pole, as birds migrate from your land to their seasonal breeding grounds as far away as
South America and the Arctic.
Seasonal Wet Meadow,Oregon
Riparian Belt,Idaho
Mangrove Wetland,Florida
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Wetlands A Component o an Integrated Farming Operation/ 4 /
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hree ypes
o WetlandsBeyond the broad denition of wetlands
saturated land that can support vegetation
that tolerates wet soilsthere are more
specic denitions. Though other regions
have other types of wetlands, the three
specic types of wetlands dened by the
State of Louisiana help shed light on some
important characteristics:
Hydrologic : covered with water or satu-
rated to within 12 inches of the soil surface.
Hydrophytic : inundated for part of the
year. At least half of the plants present
grow in saturated or wet soils.
Hydric : peat muck or heavy clay soils,
which are anaerobic at the surface at
least part of the time.
ChrisEvans,BugwoodNetwork
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What Do Wetlands Do?T w q, W b c w b.
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Well-designed wetlands perform a host of important roles in protecting water quality. Upland buffer vegetation
slows runoff from cropland, reducing its erosive potential and causing the water to drop much of its sediment load.
Wetland plants trap more sediment and use nutrients in the runoff to create biomass, sequestering carbon in the
process. Where wetland soils meet the water, aerobic bacteria break down many pesticides. Chemical reactions
in the wetland environment also engage in denitrication, conver ting nitrates into gaseous molecular nitrogen that
dissipates into the atmosphere. By the time water settles into pools and puddles, it can be signicantly cleaner
than when it began its journey from the eld.
How Wetlands Work
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Can Wetlands CleanUp ile Dr ainage?One of the great ironies of creating 14 acres
of wetlands on the 250-acre Franklin Farmoperated by The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
near Lexington, Ill., is that the Conservancy
had to lay in new tile to get the project started.
With funding from the Environmental Qual-
ity Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conser-
vation Reserve Program (CRP) and help from
the McLean County NRCS staff, the countys
Soil and Water Conservation District, Dr. David
Kovaic from University of Illinois, and the
Franklin family, which owns the farm, The Con-
servancy created carefully sized wetlands to
study the proper ratio of wetlands to cropland
for removing nitrates from water carried by tile
lines that drain into the bermed-off parcels. The
team created wetlands that sized at 3, 6 and 9
percent of the area of adjacent farmed elds.
TNC science technician Tim Lindenbaum
says early data showed a 30-to-90-percent
removal of nitrates from drainage water,
depending on the wetland acreage. The key
element appears to be how long water is
retained in the wetland before owing to the
nearby river. TNC aquatic ecologist Maria
Lemke also notes that the wetlands appear
to be helping reduce phosphorus, too.
In addition to reducing the nutrient load
from tile drainwater, the new wetlands also
have attracted a variety of birds and wildlife,
including sandhill cranes, migrating waterfowl,
raccoons and deer, notes Lindenbaum.
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Wetlands A Component o an Integrated Farming Operation/ 8 /
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Ohio WetlandSaves Soil, Headahes
a nd MoneyMany elds have a trouble spot, and one patch
on a 100-acre eld that Marvin Bumb farmswith his father and brother near Bellevue, Ohio,
was a little corner that posed big problems.
Adjacent to a wooded area, the 2.2-acre par-
cel was shaded, wet and prone to washing out
deep ruts during heavy storms. We couldnt
get equipment across the gullies, says Bumb.
Silt from the gullies ended up on a neighbors
property or in drainage ditches, blocking tile
outlets and blowing out the elds drainage
system with alarming regularity.
Instead of ghting the inevitable ood again,
the Bumbs worked with NRCS technicians to
create a wetland on the problem parcel. Today,
the wetland holds water all year long, even
during most storms. A berm holds back most
ows, and a spillway allows extreme storms
to drain into a tile main that shunts the water
cleanly and safely into a ditch. A grassed
border around the wetland stabilizes the soil
and provides habitat for wildlifeBumbs only
maintenance is a dose of 2,4-D in late spring to
control thistles and other noxious weeds.
Its turned out even better than I expected,
says Bumb of his wetland. We never really
grew anything next to the woods because of
the shade and the wetness. The benets of not
farming that land, and of being able to farm the
rest of the eld without the erosion, more than
offset the acreage we lost. If I had to do it all
again, Id do exactly the same thing.
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F 10 w jc, w Wetlands: A More Proftable Alternative
C c I C wb (www.conservationinformation.org/?action=learningcenter_publications_wetlands ).
Wi ldl ie Va lue
May Beat CropsOn Wet GroundHard-to-farm ground may shine when the
key product is recreation instead of corn,
beans or cotton, says Daryl Jones of the
Natural Resource Enterprises Program at
Mississippi State University. Recreational
enterprises can make marginal acreage
and the whole farmmuch more protable
than putting it under the plow, Jones says.
In 2001, there were 13 million hunters,34 million anglers and 66 million people who
went wildlife watching in Mississippi, says
Jones. Those people are willing to spend
good money to enjoy their hobbies, which
is why recreational enterprises such as fee
hunting or wildlife guide services can become
big revenue streams on farms. Enhancing
habitat through wetland restoration or
management can add signicant value.
Jones and his colleagues offer a
wealth of information on the Natural
Resources Enterprise Program web site
(www.naturalresources.msstate.edu/),
including studies on protability, details on
landowner liability and other related topics.DennisClay
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Getting Started
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Wetlands A Component o an Integrated Farming Operation/ 12 /
Restoring A Wetland: Getting StartedPc, b w . P b c -
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NRCS soil maps dene specic soil types on
nearly every parcel of land in the U.S. In fact,
as of summer 2007, soil maps for 95 percent
of U.S. counties were available online at
http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/.
Your local NRCS oice will have maps and data
on local hydrology, soils and topographyandtechnicians who will help you apply the information.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA) has foodplain maps that can help you
site a wetland. For just a few dollars apiece,
maps are available for download or may be
ordered in printed form at http://msc.ema.gov/
webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/FemaWelcomeVie
w?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1
Your local water management district will have
details on drainage, ow and elevation for its ser-
vice areaall invaluable for planning a wetland.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services National
Wetlands Inventory can provide maps of
wetlands for download at http://wetlandsws.
er.usgs.gov/NWI/index.html .
The Conservation Technology Inormation
Center offers a variety of resources on its
www.conservationinormation.orgweb site,including a book of wetlands case studies called
Wetlands: A More Proftable Alternative?
Your local extension agent may have insight
on wetlands and wetland issues.
Check your local library or historical society
for old photos of your areasome may have
captured wetlands or native vegetation right on
your property.
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Vital InormationResearch on site selection can make or break a wetland project. There are several sources for vital
information on the soils and water that dene your wetland site:
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Wetlands A Component o an Integrated Farming Operation/ 14 /
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Ho Deep?The depth of a wetland is a key factor in
what it does and how well it functions. Plant
and animal species have specic habitat
requirements or preferences. For instance,
of the 156 bird species that use moist-soil
wetlands, 131 prefer water depths of 10
inches or less, according to the University
of Missouri.
The water level in shallow wetlands can
also be drawn up and down to ease access to
food sources such as submerged vegetation
and seeds, or arthropods like craysh and
insects. The less energy a bird has to expend
to get to its food, the more reserves it will
have for migration or reproduction.
Remember: the most effective wetlands
are not shing holesbut they are innitely
more valuable to the ecosystem.
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Buers : Look Beyond
the WetlandThe saturated area of a wetland project is
obviously the heart of the effort, but a suc-
cessful wetland also includes upland buffers.
Those are the areas that protect the wetland
from rushing stormwater, that lter out some
contaminants before they reach the wetland,
and that harbor the nests and roosts of wild-
life that feed in the wetland.
Well-designed buffers are built to function.
Edge habitat encourages predatorsfor better
or worse, depending upon your goals. Certain
vegetation invites specic species to breed
or seek shelter for the night. Cool-season
grasses can serve as a rebreak during dry
seasons.
Not only can you look beyond your wet-
landbe sure to look beyond your property
line. A neighbors woodlot may make your
wetland function better by providing shelter for
wetland wildlife, or her Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP) planting may serve as a lterfor runoff water headed your way. Once you
have mapped out your wetland and buffers,
check with your conservation district or NRCS
staffyour neighbor might be able to enroll
in the same conservation program as you to
get paid for enhancing your wetland.
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Wetlands A Component o an Integrated Farming Operation/ 16 /
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Riparian RestorationBoosts ForageWhen members of the Petes Creek
Partnership purchased a 1,200-acre ranch
near Susanville, Calif. in 1993, they saw a
patchwork of riparian areas, wet meadows,
wetlands and sagebrush uplands that had
been profoundly disturbed by overuse of
the creek that served as the cornerstone
of the system. A lack of riparian vegetation
led to erosion. Erosion led to downcutting of
the creek bottom. A lower creek bottom, as
well as diversions of water from the creek
to irrigate pastures, dropped the water table
below the level of the wet meadows. Normally
wet grazing areas dried up and became
covered with low-nutrition sagebrush.
With the help of NRCS and the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Services Partners for Fish and
Wildlife Program, the partnership fenced off
1.25 miles of the creek and began an aggres-
sive restoration of streamside vegetation
and the removal of sage from former grazing
meadows. In addition to the creek restora-
tion, the owners instituted a rotational grazing
program to mimic the effects of ancient herdson the landscape, allowing cattle to efciently
utilize more of the available forage, then let-
ting the land rest before grazing resumes.
Within four years, the results were abun-
dantly clear. The riparian buffer grew lush and
grazing areas improvedin fact, stocking rates
jumped from 200 cow-calf pairs to 300 pairs,
an outstanding illustration that doing good can
also help livestock producers do well.
Healthy riparian vegetation can bolster stream-
banks, reducing erosion and shading the water.
Managed well, riparian vegetation can benet both
livestock and wildlife: lush for weeks or months
after upland vegetation goes dormant, it can extendgrazing and browsing opportunities.
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ConstructionCapturing Vital Water c w , b c b c c w
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It is also absolutely imperative that you get approval rom state and ederal authoritiesincluding
environmental protection agencies, NRCSand theU.S.Army Corps o Engineersbeore turning the frst
bucket o earth on a wetland. Unauthorized alteration o a wetland, even i it is well-intentioned, could
lead to denial o arm program services as well as huge fnes.
Managing tile (above) is a central part of many wet-
land construction projects. Plugging or breaking
old tile lines can help keep water on the land. If the
lines provide drainage for neighbors, replace perfo-
rated line with non-perforated tile under your land.
Constructing berms and dikes (below) requires
engineering and planning. Get help from NRCS or
a consultant to make sure your project is designed
well, built to last, discourages pests and complies
with program standards.
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Wetlands A Component o an Integrated Farming Operation/ 18 /
Management Is KeyW ---- jc q b .
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The terms of your conserva-
tion easement or wetlands
mitigation banking charter
may require very thorough
monitoringa monitoring
program is an important
way to ensure that you are
on-track, your structures are
working properly, the earth-
work isnt failing, vegetation
is reestablishing adequately
and to catch invaders before
they get too far ahead of you.
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W , wc w, . I w b,
, c w c. Cc b w cc w c
.
M , cc , cz w -
w w c w b .
VolunteersLoal
Laor at the Ready Planting, monitoring and weeding wetlands
can be arduous work, and a large site could
require a signicant amount of labor. Fortu-
nately, legions of environmentally minded
people are likely to be eager to help you
succeed.
Contact local environmental groups,
wildlife organizations, conservation districts,
Boy Scout troops or other youth organizations
to see if they can provide a volunteer team
to assist you in your wetland project.
Its a win-win situationyou get help,
volunteers get the satisfaction of knowing
they helped restore or establish valuable
habitat and the wetland project gets a
signicant boost.
Succession is the natural cycle of plant community development. In a wetland project, it can begin with newly
worked ground and build from a ush of annual grasses to eventually develop into woodland or native prairie.
Wetlands are often managed to maintain earlier succession communities, which provide valuable habitat that may
have been plowed under or grown over in other parts of the area.
The Value of Succession
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Wetlands A Component o an Integrated Farming Operation/ 20 /
Control SedimentationS w. T c w c
c cc , , wb c
w c .
S c c c w,
w. E, c bc . E cc
b, c w b c cc
Phragmites c cz w w c w .
S Iw c j c w c c
c c c , qc c -
c c.I c , c c -
, . A c z c -
b b w, c b (
) -bw w. I , c c c,
w c b b c c w
.
F, c cc c w , -
bc z c w, x . T
x c. I b w c c cb cc cc c, c c c. W,
c b c, w b.
T c c b w .
B w w c b c
w w c w c c. C-
- c c c . W w
b, b ww - c cc b w.
Water control structures all ow you to manage water
depth and timing. Good planning and management
can help encourage a diverse community of desir-
able vegetation, create good habitat waterfowl and
other wildlife, and even adjust sedimentation levels
to create a properly functioning wetland.
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Manage Water CareullyI w, w c c cc c w. B
w w w, w c cc.
T wc w w c c w
w c. S w c c b c c b -
b .
Dw w w cc c cc c
c c w c . A -
ww w cc, w, b.
c, w x b c DDD, D-
, c b Dc U b P C.D c b . W cc w c D-
c b
c, w- b, b b . C
, c Phragmites c, c b c b w . O,
cw, c.
T . Hw w w
c A w w w I qc, c
w c c . Aw w w
w b w w w w c w c w .
. c , c ww Mc A;
- , ww. V ww
cNRCS M -
w w c c b w c .
Cc w c b w c ; c NRCS fc
w w.
Pigweed is not a welcome guest on cropland, but
it is an outstanding source of nutrition for birds and
other wetland wildlife.
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Wetlands A Component o an Integrated Farming Operation/ 22 /
Scc w c c c. V-
b wwc b b - , b w b w w b
. T w x c w
jc.
O c, b b w ww, q c w
- w.
Funding Your Wetland ProjectR w q . F, bc w c
c ,
w- w jc.
T b x c c c (
c w c c c c). Dc b
w- . T c b cc c cb
b c NRCS b c.
T b w z, c-
. P w c b c w jc b
b c , w w b
b -w c wc w c.
F c c. Hw,
c w , c:
Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)F b F B bNRCS,WRP w
z 2.3 c w 2002 F B . I w ,
WRP b b cx 80 c c-
WRP c , , cc c,
14 c c b 30- cc. (www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/wrp/)
The important thing to
remember is that wetlands
funding is highly prized, and
highly competitive. Plan well
and consider the variables
that can help make your
wetland project as valuable
as possible to the local or
regional environment, and
talk with people who have
been through the bidding or
grant-writing process for the
programs in which you want
to participate.
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/ 23 /
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)A NRCS- ,
EQIP c , c- c cc c- jc. H- jc c w, c - c c
w w jc. (www.nrcs.usda.gov/PRO-
GRAMS/EQIP/)
North American Wetlands Conservation Act Grants G U.S. F W-
Sc w c U.S., C Mxc.
(www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/index.shtm)
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)A -
c cc c cc, CREP
c- b w jc. I c, 2005, b -x
c CREP w w b. (www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=ho
me&subject=copr&topic=cep)
Five-Star Program D bU.S. EPA c c , -
$5,000 $20,000 w c, c c
jc. (www.epa.gov/wetlands/
restore/5star/)
EPA Regional Grant ProgramEc U.S. EPA 10 c b -
c w jc. Cc c b c b b.
Clean Water State Revolving Fund F bU.S. EPA , w-
c w c ww. I c , ,
c , c w jc, b
. R b w .
For More Inormation
Check with your local conservation district on
funding sources, or go online to the U.S. EPA
funding database at www.epa.gov/owow/
unding/databases.html.
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Wetlands A Component o an Integrated Farming Operation/ 24 /
U c c w
c q . T wb Ac F W Ac -b- x w c
(www.wildl ifeactionplans.org/index.html).
A w - z c w c -
. S b c w cc,
w cc Dc U (www.ducks.org) N F
W F (www.nfwf.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Grants).
W z N Ab Sc (www.audubon.org) b
b b cc c w-
b w w- w c.
C Ac w w -
. T N C W R P (www.coastalamerica.gov/text/
cwrp.html) b 1999 w G C j w U.S. EPA Mc
Exc Ofc E A jc B S,
b C Ac. T w qcw, c c
w 200 c 100 - c
.
Lc b xc c c -
. W c w , c c
c w w w -
cc cc WRP. C
c c w-w , b b c c . T L
Ac (www.landtrustalliance.org) Ac F (www.farmland.org)
b c z .
Plant Data Center
Oers Deta ilsWhich problem plant species are found in
your area? Check the USDA NRCS PLANTS
Data Center web site (http://plants.usda.
gov) to nd out. Technical Note 190-72 by
the NRCS National Wetland Team also offers
identication and control information for
some of the most notorious invasive wetland
plants (tp://tp-c.sc.egov.usda.gov/WLI/
NoxiousPlants5_24_2007.pd ).
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Wetland ChallengesW w, b c c-
. B bc c , w jc,
c w c b w c cx c
. B w jc c c b
w .
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w cc
bw. L c, w q
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w- c w -c .F c, c ( w b , Phragmites) ,
c c w , c w,
H- . T c w .
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c.
T c b
w .
T Phragmites. , b b z. Phrag-
mites c b c 240 q , c . C b w xc c c -w
bcb, wc c qc bc b c.
CPhragmites J, b b cb
z, c b c w c Phragmites c
. Bc c b c ,
b. Phragmites w w c b . C-
c c c b c.
Establishing a diverse community of desirable plant
species while ghting invasives can be one of the
great challenges of wetland management.
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Wetlands A Component o an Integrated Farming Operation/ 26 /
Reed canarygrass c w w , cw
c c. I c cb z,w, , b, bc b w c
c c.
Purple loosestrie ( c ) w b -
c . Ec c c ,
b xc . Hbc c , c
c c J . B x -
c w w cc b ,
x fc .
I c c c w . A cb w
q w b c. O c, w cb w -
c, c b b c w
cc w c c w.
T c New Zealand mud snail w Pcc Nw,
c c c.
Grass carp c 1960 bc c c
qc c . A w b
q , Gambusia, xb c q
. T c bc c
Gambusia c .
O c, mosquitoes cc w , c x-
c q-b c W N . Hw,
x 200 c q U.S. M b
w c; j w b c W N.
T c W N U.S. Culex pipiens, wc
w w w, w, c b b c b xc
. I c, - w c b b
Non-native weeds such as Phragmites, or common
reed, can choke out native species and degrade
wetland habitat. Keeping invasives out starts in the
planning stages.
JilM.Swearingen,USDANationalParksService,Bugwood.org
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C. pipiens w, w c, , b b
cb w w z c .T cc b w
b C. pipiens. U, b W N c w U.S.
C. tarsalis, wc b c w. T c C. tarsalis w q c -
c - w b
q- c c c Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).
S c w b c b wc b b
b. Canada geese z w , j c . Hw,
z b c C
4 wc c c b c.
G b w w 2 3 c z, w q c
w. I c cc , c
w c b c w
w, b, w . Hz cc c
b , .
Rodents c w/b w w. M
c , b w . S
c, w c b . Hw,
c Nw c c b cc. O,
c b, , c w w x
c, c w c c.
R b b . W w c w
x w. Ex w
b c c w . F c, c bw c
c c bw , c bw 50
. S, c w c c w b b,
- , z cc bw
ArnoldTDrooz,BugwoodNetwork
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Wetlands A Component o an Integrated Farming Operation/ 28 /
b. T b c.
D c b w c b w, b wc c, w , c w x
q.
Legal Issues Surrounding WetlandsN , w, c
w b w w U.S.A C E
c. T w c c w q-
x . A w jc w w ,
c w c w. Do not
begin to convert or modiy any wetland, even to improve its unction, until you have consulted with the
appropriate agencies.
T local legal issues c w b .
I w jc bc b c, c
b. S, b w, c w
c. S w jc , b
c c. (O , b j
jc.)
I w riparian water rights , w
w w b. T w
c, w wc
. W c w c c w
b.
P contracts and easements b jc, . I
q wc . I j
w w w b b
In order to get to the beauty and function of wet-
lands, landowners must navigate legal straits and
program rules.Fortunately, for the diligent, there is
an array of programs designed to encourage and
help fund wetland protection or restoration. It isvital, though, to make sure every step is in accor-
dance with local, state and federal law.After lookingat paperwork, though, comes the reward of uncom-
mon beauty, like this common camas bloom.
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. I w b c c c ,
xc c, c w b w b cc.
I b cc w cc, -
c w b cc. D cc , b
c c w w w cc.
B c c w cc, c
w c -b c. K c cc -
b c c c bc q
b w w c jc.
F cc , xc w w bjc w
-c c , Swb C W Ac.
R w c , b b c-
c fc - b b jc.
U Swampbuster 1985 F Sc Ac ( w F B),
b w b w c w c w.
S , b w , c
USDA b.
Sc 404 Clean Water Act x cc. Hw, c
c w c b c , w
q Sc 404. T q w w c, c:
The U.S. Army Corps o Engineers, wc jc ;
U.S. EPA , wc b c c,
w c c c w;
U.S. Fish and Wildlie Service, wc c w w
c .
Does Your Wetl and
Fall Under Clea n WaterAt Jur isdit ion?There have been dozens of jurisdictional cases
at every level of the court system in the past
decade attempting to clarify whether particular
types of wetlands fall under the Clean Water Act.
Generally speaking, the courts have found that
wetlands that are adjacent to any tributary or
have any hydrological connection to a navigable
waterway are covered under Section 404 of the
Clean Water Act. The Supreme Court has ruled
that tributary can include creeks, streams
or even constructed ditches and culverts. In
addition, distance is not a factor. So even if your
wetland is 20 miles from the nearest navigable
river, it could fall under Clean Water Act rules if
the roadside ditch next to it empties into a culvert,
which empties into a drainage ditch, which
ultimately nds its way to the river.
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Wetlands A Component o an Integrated Farming Operation/ 30 /
S c q w w q -
. Cc w c c c x c, .
Endangered Species Act c w .
(Rb b c, b
c w b .) I
c, w , w b b
b b c b. I w c c,
c z c c.
P c c w-
w . Lw c w w
U.S. F W Sc -
c w
w xb
E Sc Ac, c:
A Sae Harbor Agreement, wc w
w c b c
c c
c w
bc c w b c-
c c .
S Hb c -
c, wc w w
c c
S
Hb c
bw b
b .
The benets of wetlands can be felt all the way up
the food chain, from plants to waterfowl to the rap-
tors that hunt themand the humans who farm or
ranch on the land and drink the water beneath it.
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A Candidate Conservation Agreement c c , b fc
. T w w cc c c w b . T w
c c c , w b
c .
F b w w b c
E Sc Ac, www.fws.gov/endangered/landowner/index.html.
J cc w c c bc c
w jc, b w w w q w c
w c . W , c w
c b c c c b .
Wetlands Oer OpportunitiesPc, w c. I , .
T c w. Y w jc c fc
b cb , b -
c, b c
w b c c b wc.
Y w c bc c , w wc
cc w c c. A c
c c b c b , c b -
b w c c .
Healthy creeks, streams, wetlands and pastures
are all linked in a web of sustainability. Good man-
agement can improve working land today and safe-
guard our resources for our children.
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A Listing o Agencies and Organizations
W tl d/ 34 /
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Wetlands A Component o an Integrated Farming Operation/ 34 /
U.S. EnvironmentalProtetion Ageny
www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/
Perhaps the most comprehensive site on wetlands,
from the definition of a wetland to advanced
discussions on the hydrology and economics of
wetland systems. The Agencys document on
wetland restoration (epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pd/
restdocfnal.pd ) is an invaluable starting point for
exploring wetlands, as is http://epa.gov/owow/
wetlands/restore/principles.html .
USDA Natural R esouresConservation Servie
www.nrcs.usda.gov
The on-the-ground technical resource for wet-
lands, NRCS offers information on relevant federal
programs on its web site. Look for information on
the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP), Environ-
mental Quality Incentives Program (EQUIP), Con-
servation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
and other incentives on the NRCS site. NRCS soilmaps (http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/)
are invaluable for nding an appropriate site for
a wetland project, and the Services resource on
hydric soils (http://soils.usda.gov/use/hydric/) is
a key accompaniment.
NRCS also has a National Wetland Team, whose
web site (www.wli.nrcs.usda.gov) is a treasure
trove of information on wetland engineering, hydrol-
ogy, wildlife, soils, vegetation and invasive species. In
particular, the teams Wetland Restoration, Enhance-
ment, and Management (tp://tp-c.sc.egov.usda.
gov/WLI/wre&m.pd) is a must-read resource before
embarking on a wetland restoration project.
U.S. Fish andWi ldl ie Serv i e
www.ws.gov
To encourage landowners to conserve or enhance
wetlands, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service offers
technical expertise as well as a variety of habitat
incentive programs (www.ws.gov/habitat). The
Services National Wetlands Inventory (http://
wetlandsws.er.usgs.gov/NWI/index.html ) is also
an invaluable resource for siting projects.
Federal EmergenyManagement Ageny (ema )www.ema.gov
FEMA oodplain maps are a fundamental tool for
guring out a good site for a wetland project. The
maps can be ordered online for a nominal fee.
For More InormationThough every wetland project is unique in
some way, there is a wealth o inormation
available on wetlands to get you started.
A great place to start is your local conser-
vation district or NRCS oice. The internet
is also ull o outstanding resources.
Try these or a start.
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U.S. Geologial SurveyWe tl ands R estor at io nBiliography
www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/literatr/
wetresto/index.htm
A searchable database of documents on wetlands
restorationthe Mother Lode of writings on the
subject, including dozens of case studies.
Environmental LaInst itute (el i)
www.eli.org
This nonpartisan educational and research center
is a font of great information on wetlands issues,
including outstanding analyses of the legal and
regulatory climate that surrounds wetland projects.
ELIs National Wetlands Newsletter is a must-read
before engaging in a wetland projecta subscription
opens access to an online, searchable archive.
Eletroni oolkitor Fish and WildlieHaitat Management
www.whmi.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/etool.html
A treasure trove of information on wildlife habitat, this
NRCS resource should be on the Favorites list for any
wetland-oriented farmer, rancher or advisor.
Natural ResoureEnterprises Program,Miss iss ippi State Universit y
www.naturalresources.msstate.edu
A wealth of data on generating revenue from natu-
ral resources, including wetlands. Visit for survey
results, technical advice, marketing savvy and
details on legal issues. A paper on hunting leases
(http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p2310.
pd) is especially helpful.
Duks Unlimitedwww.ducks.org
Perhaps the leading private proponent of wetland res-
toration in North America, Ducks Unlimited employs
wetland experts with an eye for the hydrology and
biology that make wetlands invaluable for waterfowl.
Ia ak Walton League
www.iwla.org
Since the early 20th century, the Izaak WaltonLeague has been a grassroots voice for conserva-
tion. The groups wetlands fact sheets (www.iwla.
org/index.php?id=400) include valuable publica-
tions and resources.
Land rust Alliane
www.landtrustalliance.orgThe gathering point for land trusts from across the
U.S., the Land Trust Alliance offers insight as well
as an invaluable network of organizations that could
help landowners create win-win conservation ease-
ments to help nance and protect wetland projects.
A mer i an Fa r ml and rust
www.armland.org
This active policy and research group is on the front
lines of conservation policy and easement prac-
ticeanother excellent resource for landowners
exploring easements as a conservation tool.
Corporate WetlandsRestor ation Proet
www.coastalamerica.gov/text/cwrp.html
A look at a growing, nationwide effort to link corporate
dollars with local wetland restoration efforts.
Wetlands/ 36 /
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A L ando ners Gu ideto Phragmites Control
www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/
deq-ogl-Guide-Phragmites_204659_7.pd
This document from the Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality provides an excellent over-
view on controlling one of the nationwide chal-
lenges in wetlands.
Environmental Conern
www.wetland.org/publications_home.htm
This Maryland-based organization has parlayed
decades of experience with Chesapeake Bay water-
shed projects into a series of books and other edu-
cational resources, many of which are handbooks
on wetland construction and management.
Conservation ehnologyInormation Center (ti)
www.conservationinormation.org
Long a respected clearinghouse for information on
conservation practices that are economically sus-
tainable as well as environmentally sustainable,
CTIC is proud to provide this publication as part of an
array of wetland resources, from frequent articles in
Partners online magazine to wetlands publications
such as Wetlands: A More Proftable Alternative?
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Conservation TechnologyInormation Center
3495 Kent Avenue, Suite J100West Laayette, Indiana 47906-1073
www.conservationinormation.org
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