Wetland Delineation Information
General Information: If you’re planning a development project, you must know precisely
the boundaries of wetlands on the property as determined through procedures specified in
local, state and federal rules. A wetland professional is generally required to make the
boundary determination and their findings are subject to review by regulatory agencies.
Each year the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW-L) holds a series of wetland
delineation related workshops. These 1-2.5 day workshops are held in La Crosse and at
other alternating locations in Wisconsin. The workshops are taught by experts and will be of
interest to anyone who delineates wetlands or wishes to learn how to delineate wetlands in
Wisconsin.
Wetland Delineation Workshops: UW-La Crosse
Basic Wetland Delineation Training Workshop
www.uwlax.edu/conted/wetland/basicwetland.html
[This workshop introduces participants to the basics of wetland delineation fieldwork and
the paperwork that needs to be filed. Lectures on vegetation, soils, hydrology and
methodology prep participants for field work. Additional lectures on related topics are also
included. This course should be taken once and is normally a prerequisite for the Advanced
Wetland Delineation Training Workshop.]
Advanced Wetland Delineation Training Workshop
www.uwlax.edu/conted/wetland/advancedwetland.html
[This workshop provides participants additional lecture updates on a variety of topics.
Normally, two days of field work are included in the training. This course may be taken
multiple times.]
Critical Methods in Wetland Delineation
www.uwlax.edu/conted/wetland/criticalmethods.html
Wetland Regulations & Assessment
www.uwlax.edu/conted/wetland/wetlandregulations.html
Basic Plant Identification for Wetland Delineation
www.uwlax.edu/conted/wetland/basicplant.html
[This workshop introduces participants to the basics of plant identification. No previous
experience with plant identification is required. Lectures on taxonomy, plant structure and
use of plant keys for identification are provided with appropriate field work. It is preferable
but not required to take this workshop prior to the Basic Wetland Delineation Training
Workshop]
Basic Hydric Soils Identification www.uwlax.edu/conted/wetland/basichydricsoil.html
[This workshop introduces participants to the basics of wetland soils fieldwork and the
paperwork that needs to be filed for wetland delineations in relation to the soils component.
Lectures on wetland soils and their identification form the core of this workshop. It is
preferable but not required to take this workshop prior to the Basic Wetland Delineation
Training Workshop.]
Wetland Delineation Training Workshop Materials
General Information:
1987 Corps Wetland Delineation Manual
http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/elpubs/pdf/wlman87.pdf
Map of Regions for the United States
www.usace.army.mil/CECW/Documents/cecwo/reg/map_del_region.pdf
[Wisconsin lies in two supplemental regions, the Mid-West
(tan area in map) and the Northcentral/Northeast (dark
green area)]
Regional Supplements to the Corps Manual
www.usace.army.mil/CECW/Pages/reg_supp.aspx
Vegetation Links:
Flora of North America – Species keys in currently published volumes of the approximately
20,000 species found in North America north of Mexico including Greenland
http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=1
Freckmann Herbarium (UW-Stevens Point) – Flora of WI is searchable; species descriptions,
WI distribution maps, and other information may be found for WI species
http://wisplants.uwsp.edu
Resources for Wetland/Aquatic Plant ID
www.uwlax.edu/conted/pdf/wetlandresourcesforaquaticwetlandplants.pdf (3 page PDF)
Wetland Plants and Plant Communities (Eggers & Reed, 2nd ed., 1997)
www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/plants/mnplant
Wetland Plants Species List – This list provides the wetland indicator status for species:
1988 National List of Vascular Plant Species that Occur in Wetlands
www.usace.army.mil/CECW/Documents/cecwo/reg/plants/list88.pdf
USGS Midwestern Wetland Flora; a field office guide to plant species
www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/plants/floramw/index.htm
Wisconsin State Herbarium (UW-Madison) – Flora of WI is searchable; species descriptions,
WI distribution maps, and other information may be found for WI species at the Wisflora
link www.botany.wisc.edu/herbarium
Soils Links:
Field Indicators for Hydric Soils in the United States http://soils.usda.gov
Introduction to Hydric Soil Terminology
ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/WLI/1212OldWLIfromUSGS/wli/whited/introterm.ppt
Using Soil Taxonomy to Identify Hydric Soils
ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/WLI/HydricSoils/FieldIndicatorsOfHydricSoil.ppt
Redoximophic Features
ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/WLI/HydricSoils/HydricSoilOverview.ppt
Field Indicators of Hydric Soil
ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/WLI/HydricSoils/RedoximorphicFeatures.ppt
Overview of Hydric Soils
ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/WLI/HydricSoils/UsingSoilTaxonomy.pdf
Web Soil Survey www.wi.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/soil
USDA Off-site mapping conventions ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/WI/nfsam/nfsam21.pdf
Wetland Water Quality Standards:
Chapter NR 103 – Water Quality Standards for Wetlands
www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/code/nr/nr103.pdf
Water Quality Standards for Wetlands: A guide to NR 103
www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/wqslibrary/wi/wi_5_wqs.pdf
Chapter NR 299 – Water Quality Certification www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/code/nr/nr299.pdf
Chapter NR 350 – Wetland Compensatory Mitigation
www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/code/nr/nr350.pdf
Chapter NR 351 – Exemptions from Water Quality Certification in Nonfederal Wetlands
www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/code/nr/nr351.pdf
Chapter NR 352 - Delineation of Nonfederal Wetlands
www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/code/nr/nr352.pdf
Chapter NR 353 – Wetland Conservation Activities
www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/code/nr/nr353.pdf
Clean Water Act, Section 404 www.epa.gov/wetlands/regs/sec404.html
1999 Wisconsin ACT 147 www.legis.state.wi.us/1999/data/acts/99Act147.pdf
2001 Wisconsin ACT 6 www.legis.state.wi.us/2001/data/acts/01Act6.pdf
Hydrology Links:
USGS’ Wisconsin Water Science Center and National Water Information System
 http://wi.water.usgs.gov
 http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis
[water table maps, hydroperiod graphs, simple water budgets, flood freq map, nested
wells, chemical sampling, flow modeling]
NRCS’s WETS tables www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/climate/wets_doc.html
COE’s Wetlands Regulatory Assistance Program (WRAP) http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/wrap
Wisconsin Drought Watch http://waterwatch.usgs.gov/?map_type=dryw&state=wi
Current Streamflow in Wisconsin http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wi/nwis/rt
Mississippi River Stages/Flows http://www.mvp-wc.usace.army.mil/projects
Wisconsin Groundwater Levels http://wi.water.usgs.gov/data/groundwater.html
NRCS Ditch Scope and Effect Calculator
www.wli.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/web_tool/tools_java.html
Designing and Installing Monitoring Wells in Wetlands


http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/wrap/pdf/tnwrap06-2.pdf
http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/wrap/pdf/tnwrap00-2.pdf
List of Wisconsin Geological/Hydrogeological Publications
http://www.uwex.edu/wgnhs/pubs.htm
Problem and Atypical Wetlands:
Chapter NR 103 – Water Quality Standards for Wetlands
www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/code/nr/nr103.pdf
Chapter NR 350 – Wetland Compensatory Mitigation
www.legis.state.wi.us/rsb/code/nr/nr350.pdf
DNR Surface Water Data Viewer mapping application for Wisconsin water resources
including wetlands http://dnrmaps.wisconsin.gov/imf/imf.jsp?site=SurfaceWaterViewer
DNR's wetlands page http://dnr.wi.gov/wetlands
Wetland Compensatory Mitigation http://dnr.wi.gov/wetlands/mitigation
National Academy of Sciences’ “Wetlands: Characteristics and Boundries”
www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=4766 [recommends regionalization of wetland
delineation i.e., need for regional supplements]
Field Delineation Methodology:
Interim Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual:
Midwest Region http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/elpubs/pdf/trel08-27.pdf
Field data sheet and report documentation – Appendix C of supplement
Interim Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual:
Northcentral and Northeast Region
www.usace.army.mil/CECW/Documents/cecwo/reg/trel09-19.pdf
Field data sheet and report documentation – Appendix C of supplement
NRCS Maps www.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/maps.html
USGS Maps http://nationalmap.gov/gio/viewonline.html
Wisconsin Wetland Inventory Maps http://dnr.wi.gov/wetlands/inventory.html
Other Links of Interest:
US Army Corps of Engineers (COE) home page www.usace.army.mil/Pages/default.aspx
US Environmental Protection Agency home page www.epa.gov
US Geologic Survey home page www.usgs.gov
US Fish and Wildlife Service home page www.fws.gov
NRCS home page www.nrcs.usda.gov
National Wetlands Inventory www.fws.gov/wetlands/statusandtrends
Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) www.sws.org
Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC)
www.sewrpc.org/SEWRPC.htm
Wetland Delineation Professional Assurance Program: WI Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) http://dnr.wi.gov/wetlands/assurance.html
[DNR has established a professional assurance program for those highly experienced
professional wetland consultants that meet certain qualifications. Professional
assurance means that the work of individuals meeting training and performance
standards will receive spot checks rather than individual review. This should result in
faster decisions and improved wetlands protection.]
Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WNHGS) home page
www.uwex.edu/wgnhs
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) home page www.dnr.state.wi.us
UW-La Crosse River Studies Center http://www.uwlax.edu/biology/River-StudiesCenter.htm
UW-La Crosse Continuing Education and Extension www.uwlax.edu/conted
Updated 6.17.2011