Basics of Wetland Identification & Hydric Soil Properties for Town Officials & Planners

Joe Homer November 10, 2012

Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission

Are You Sure This

Is a Wetland ?

Wetland Information …..

doesn’t have to be scary!

Wetlands

~ Not to Get Too Technical

~ Define Wetland

~ Wetland Concept

~ Terminology (get to know the lingo)

~ Develop a Web Soil Survey Map & Report

~ Briefly Discuss Functionality

~ Questions & Answers

GOALS for Today’s Presentation

Wetland Basics

for NH Landowners and Town Officials

Hydric Soils Basics

for NH Landowners and Town Officials

Wetland Benefits Flood Control - natural sponge Fish and Wildlife Habitat Hunting and Fishing Opportunities Boating & Recreation - our last true wilderness areas Water Quality - purify water by processing nutrients,

sediment and pollutants Aquifer Recharge Water Availability - Absorb water during wet times &

slowly release during dry times Erosion Control - absorb impact from wave action Natural Buffers - separate land uses to create diversity

Wetland ~ Defined

Wetlands are those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal conditions do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, forested wetlands and similar areas.

How are Wetlands Identified ?

For Federal and most state jurisdictional purposes, the determination / delineation must be carried out using the “Federal Manual for Identifying and Delineating Jurisdictional Wetlands”. This delineation is aimed at determining the precise location of the wetland/upland boundary based on field indicators of ………………...……

…..vegetation, soils, & hydrology.

The Wetlands Manual

(1987)

The Wetlands Manual

2012

Regional

Regionalized for NE and N. Central

Wetlands Come in Different Flavors

Very Wettest, … … … Transitional to Upland

Wetland Identification Criteria

Three Parameters

Hydrology - drives the system (not always apparent)

Vegetation - reflection of the hydrology (easily altered)

Soils - provide a permanent record of the hydrology

Must Meet All Three to Be a WETLAND

HYDROLOGY Primary Hydrologic Indicators - one of the following

Visual observation of inundation (saturation, ponding) High Water Table – within 12" of the surface Saturation - of soil within 12" of the surface Watermarks Sediment deposition Drift lines Iron Deposits Water-stained leaves Oxidized root channels w/in 12" of the soil surface

Secondary Hydrologic Indicators - 2 or more needed Drainage patterns Stunted or stressed plants Geomorphic Position Saturation visible on aerial imagery FAC neutral test ( vegetation adapted to wet and dry conditions)

Saturation & Ponding

Saturation of Soil within 12" of the Surface

Water Marks / Sedimentation

Indicators of Hydrology ~ Driftlines

Indicators of Hydrology ~ Primary

VEGETATION Criteria - dominated by plants adapted to growing in wet conditions

(hydrophytes)

Evaluated in 3 strata Herb (less than 1 meter tall) Sapling or shrub (less than 3”DBH, greater than 1 meter tall) Tree (3” or more in DBH)

Plant Categorization Obligate Wetland Plants (OBL) - occur in wetland >99% of the time Facultative Wetland Plants (FACW) - occur in wetland 67 - 99% of the time Facultative Plants (FAC) - occur in wetland 34 - 66% of the time Facultative Upland Plants (FACU) - occur in wetland 1 - 33% of the time Obligate Upland Plants (UPL) - occur in wetland <1% of the time

Plant morphology Buttressed trees Adventitious roots Shallow root systems ( Wind throw)

3 Strata – Herb, Sapling, Tree

Vegetation Sampling

HYDRIC ~ SOILS

Hydric Soils Criteria - formed under conditions of saturation, flooding or ponding long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part, (6" sandy soils, 12" other soils).

Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the US, Version 7, 2010

Wetland Identification Criteria (review)

Three Parameters

Hydrology - drives the system (not always apparent)

Vegetation - reflection of the hydrology (easily altered)

Soils - provide a permanent record of the hydrology

Must Meet All Three to Be a WETLAND

Water Table & Soil Drainage

Depletions

Depletions

Concentrations

Concentrations

Mottles or Redoximorphic Features

Soil Color

Munsell Soil Color Book

Hue - 7.5YR

Munsell Soil Color

7.5 YR 3/4

Value ---------- 3 Chroma ---------- 4

To Record Soil Color

A Few Basics for using the Hydric Soil Indicators

The NTCHS defines a hydric soil as, a soil that formed under conditions of saturation, flooding, or ponding long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part.

Hydric Soils

So What’s Driving

this Change?

Version 7.0 (2010)

Field Indicators of Hydric Soils

in the United States

for use in LRR “R”

Field Indicators for use in LRR “R”

The Indicators are designed to be regionally specific.

Developed for 23 Regions

44 page Document

One Page Cheat Sheet for Region R

One Page Cheat Sheet for Region R

Loamy soils

Interior F2

Boundary F3, F6, F7, F8, F12

Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the US

All soils

Interior A1, A2, A3, A4, A12

Boundary A5, A11

Land Resource Region “R”

Sandy soils

Interior S1, S3, S4, S8

Boundary S5, S6, S7, S9

Very Wet

A1. Histosol A1. Histosol (for use in all LRRs) Classifies as a Histosol (except Folist). User Notes: In a Histosol, 40 cm (16 inches) or more of the upper 80 cm (32 inches) is organic soil material. Organic soil materials have an organic carbon content (by weight) of 12 to 18 percent, or more, depending on the clay content of the soil.

These materials include muck (sapric soil material), mucky peat (hemic soil material), and peat (fibric soil material).

Transitional to Upland

A11. Depleted Below Dark Surface A11. Depleted Below Dark Surface.

A layer with a depleted or gleyed matrix that has 60 or more percent chroma of 2 or less, starting within 30 cm (12 inches) of the soil surface, and having a minimum thickness of either: a. 15 cm (6 inches), or b. 5 cm (2 inches) if the 5 cm consists of fragmental soil material. Loamy or clayey layer(s) above the depleted or gleyed matrix must have value of 3 or less and chroma of 2 or less. Any sandy material above the depleted or gleyed matrix must have value of 3 or less and chroma of 1 or less, and at least 70 percent of the visible soil particles must be covered, coated, or similarly masked with organic material.

Forested Wetlands

Forested Wetlands

Forested Wetlands

YES! It’s A

Hydric Soil ?

Vernal Pools

Soil Mapping Information, ….

…..for Your Area of Interest

NRCS has transitionied from hard copy county soil

survey reports,

Web Soil Survey is the method for distributing soils

information.

County Web Soil Survey

Soil Data Mart

NH homepage

Belknap County (see MBSS) (see MBSS) Attribute only

Carroll County Yes Yes Attribute only

Carroll Update Yes Yes No

Cheshire County Yes Yes Attribute only

Coos County Area Yes Yes Attribute only

Grafton County Area Yes Yes Attribute only

Hillsborough East Yes Yes Attribute only

Hillsborough West Yes Yes Attribute only

Merrimack County (see MBSS) (see MBSS) Attribute only

Rockingham County Yes Yes Attribute only

Strafford County Yes Yes Attribute only

Strafford Update No No No

Sullivan County Yes Yes Attribute only

MBSS Update Yes Yes Attribute only

WMNF No No No

NRCS Soil Data Storage

Soil Data Warehouse

Web Soil Survey Soil Data Mart “The Official Copy”

Create Customized

Report for

Your Area of

Interest !

www.nh.nrcs.usda.gov

Web Soil Survey – Opening Page

Create Your AOI

Final Extent for AOI

Soil Map for AOI

Review Interpretive Map for Your Report

Data for Your Interpretive Map

Create An Interpretive Map for Your Report

Legend for Interpretive Map

Develop an Interpretive Report

Is Your Wetland Healthy & Functioning ?

Wetlands Come in Different Flavors

What’s the Functionality of Your Wetland?

So, What are Wetland Functions? Functions are self-sustaining properties of a wetland

ecosystem that exist in the absence of society.

Functions result from both living and non-living components of a specific wetland.

These include all processes necessary for the self-maintenance of the wetland ecosystem such as primary production and nutrient cycling.

Therefore, functions relate to the ecological significance of wetland properties without regard to subjective human values.

Methods to Assess Functionality

Qualitative

Quantitative

Quantitative & Qualitative

Methods to Assess

Functionality

Qualitative

Methods to Assess

Functionality Quantitative &

Qualitative

The title change reflects a fundamental shift in the method. The 2010 revised edition allows both comparative and single wetland evaluation. The NH Method can be used to evaluate individual wetlands, as well as evaluating multiple wetlands in town or watershed (comparative evaluation). Note that the NH Method is not an impact assessment method.

Qualitative

Can Be Somewhat Subjective

1. Ecological Integrity 2. Wetland Wildlife Habitat 3. Finfish Habitat 4. Educational Potential 5. Visual/Aesthetic Quality 6. Water Based Recreation 7. Flood Control Potential 8. Ground Water Use Potential 9. Sediment Trapping 10. Nutrient Attenuation 11. Dissipation of Erosive Forces 12. Urban Quality of Life 13. Historical Site Potential 14. Noteworthiness

Quantitative

Quantitative

Quantitative &

Qualitative

Twofold approach to identifying wetland functions.

Incorporates both wetland science and human judgment of values.

What wetland functions and values are considered ?

GROUNDWATER RECHARGE/DISCHARGE FLOODFLOW ALTERATION (Storage) FISH AND SHELLFISH HABITAT SEDIMENT/TOXICANT/PATHOGEN RETENTION NUTRIENT REMOVAL/RETENTION/TRANSFORMATION PRODUCTION EXPORT (Nutrient – production of food or usable products) SEDIMENT/SHORELINE STABILIZATION WILDLIFE HABITAT RECREATION EDUCATIONAL/SCIENTIFIC VALUE UNIQUENESS/HERITAGE VISUAL QUALITY/AESTHETICS THREATENED or ENDANGERED SPECIES HABITAT

• NRCS has the soils information

& expertise to give you what you need, with the appropriate

amount of detail

• NRCS is not regulatory

Love Your Soil , … & Wetlands !!!

? QUESTIONS ?

Zzzzzzzzzz

www.nh.nrcs.usda.gov

For More Information Contact:

Joe Homer Assistant State Soil Scientist joseph.homer@nh.usda.gov

603-788-3818 ext 101

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