Basic Guide to
Wisconsin's Wetlands
and Their Boundaries
Wisconsin Department of Administration
Wisconsin Coastal Management Program
Cover photographs
Top: Gayfeather (L/otrls Pycnostochyo) Found in prairies and some
calcareous fen areas, Not to be confused with the non-native
invasive purple loosestrife (Lythrum Sallcoria) ,
Kettle Moraine Fen and low Prairie State Natural Area
Bottom: A shallow open water community in Walworth County.
Basic Guide to
Wisconsin's Wetlands
and Their Boundaries
STATE OF WISC ONSIN
Department of Administration
Wisconsin Coastal Management Program
Tommy G. Thompson, Governor
James
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Klauser, Secretary, Depnrtmcllt of Adlllillistration
Donald K. Stitt, Cllair, Wiscol/shl Coastlll Mal1agement COlllleil
Wisconsil1 C()(1s/1I1 M(lIIagcment Program
P.o. Box 7868
Madisoll, WI 53707-7868
(608) 266-8234
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Wisconsin Coastal Management Program Staff
Oscar Herrera, Cllief
Ga ry Gylund, CUI/HI/alive (llId Secondary Impacts Program Coordinator
Dca Larsen, Wetlal1d Proteetioll Program Coordinator
Mary Fmzer, Federal Consistency Coordi/Illlor
Nathaniel E. Robinson, Administrator, Division of Energy mId Intergovernmental Reiatiolls
Martha Kerner, Director, BlIreml of llltergovcm lll cllta i RelatiollS
Funded by
Wisconsin Coastal Management Program
Financial assistance for this guidebook was p rovided by the Coastal Zone Management
Act of 1972, as amended, administered by the Office of Ocean and Coasta l Resource
Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration pursuant to Grant
#NA270Z0356-01 and the W isconsin Coasta l Management Program.
The Wisconsin Coastal Management Progra m, part of the Wisconsin DepMtment of Administra tion, and overseen by the Wisconsin Coasta l Management Council, was established in
1978 to preserve, protect and manage the resou rces of the Lake Michigan and Lake Superior
coastline for this and future generations.
Policy direction for the Wisconsin Coastal Managemen t Program is set by a 13-member
council, chaired by Port Washington attorney Dona ld K. Stitt. The governor appoints the
brond-based council to represent state agencies, local governments, the general public and
Indian tribes with an interest in coastal issues.
Publicatioll Date: 1995
PUBL-WZ-029-94
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Preface
W
etlands are unique and valuable natural resources that
are being lost in Wisconsin. To help stem the rate of loss,
the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program convened a work
group of federal, state and local regulators, plus educators and
private consultants famili ,u with wetlands and their conservation. This publication is one result of their work.
This guide has been developed to assist zoning staff and
other government officials to understand and identify wetland
ecosystems. It outlines how to recognize the variety of areas
defined as wetlands in Wisconsin and understand the principles which innuence how boundary lines arc drawn between
wetland and non-\vetland habitats---callcd the wetland delin-
eation process.
Generally, wetlands arc identified by characteristic indica~
tors of their vegetation, soils and hydrology. This guide is organized along the same three parameters. Chapters 2 through
4 discuss the reason that wetlands form, the types of plants that
grow in wetlands (known as hydrophytic vegetation) and the
type of soils that are typically found in wetlands. Chapter 5
combines these principles into a logical process for finding the
wetland boundary. Chapter 6 provides a description of a
simple delineation report format and Chapter 7 contains useful sources of information and references.
To become truly proficient at wetland delineation requires
additional, field-oriented training and continuous application
in the field. This publication is intended to be used in conjunction with a field training course and serve as a reference after
the field course. It is our hope that the ideas out\ir)ed in the
guide, in combination with a training course, will provide the
basics needed to identify wetlands. We strongly recommend
that those using this publication seek assistance from wetland
experts when appropriMe.
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Acknowledgments
he Wisconsin Coastal Management Council and program
staff would like to acknowledge the work of the Wetland
Professional Certification Program Steering Committee in re~
viewing and commenting on this guide. Members of the Com~
millec included: Scott Hausmann, Chief of the Water
Regulation and Zoning Sect ion, Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources (DNR); Kate Fitzgerald, Wetlnnd Zoning
Specialist, DNR; Dale Simon, Chief Biologist, BurCilU of WMer
ReguiCltion and Zoning, DNR; Dave Siebert, Ecologist, Bureau
of Environmental Analysis, DNR; John Cain, Section Chief for
Operator Certification, Technical Services, DNR; Don Reed,
Chief Biologist of the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission; Steve Eggers, Branch Ecologist, Regulatory
Branch, U.s. Army Corps of Engineers; Ron Spry, Fish and
Wildlife Biologist, U.s. Fish and Wildlife Service; Tom Glatzel,
Environmental Protection Specialist, U.s. Environmental Pro~
tection Agency; Duane Greuel, Environmental Ana lyst, Wood
County Zoning Office and Wisconsin County Code Administrators Certification Committee; and Thomas Thrall, State Biologist / Forester, USDA Natural Resources Conservation
Service.
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The original inspiration and format for the gUide was from
the publication "Maine Wetlands and Their Boundaries" which
was developed by Ralph W. Tiner for the Maine Department
of Econom ic and Community Development.
Robert J. Pierce and Charles J. Newling of the Wetland Tra ining Institute, Inc., prepared the ea rly drafts and design of this
guide. Pierce and Newling would like to thank Richard P.
Novitzki for his review of the original dra ft s of the hydrology
chapter and W. Blake Parker for his review of the soils chapter. Kelsey Minehan provided a non-technical rewrite of the
entire draft manuscript. Anne Rood provided a detailed edit
of each iteration of the d raft guide. Original artwork was provided by Mark Hill, Thomas Pizer and Robert Pierce. Photographs were provided by Don Reed, Steve Eggers, Charles
Newling, Robert Pierce and Ja mes Teaford.
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Table of Contents
Preface
Ac knowledgments
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4
Chapter 1: What Are Wetlands?
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Why We Need Wetlands -----------------------------------------8
Flora I Dive rsi ty ------------------------------------------------- 8
Fish and Wildlife H abitat ----------------------------------.. 8
Flood P rotecti 0 n -------------------------------.---------------- 9
Wa ter Quality Protectio n -------------------------------------9
5 ho rei i ne Pro tecti on ------------------------------------------- 9
Groundwater Recharge and Disch<lrge ----------------- 9
Aesthetics, Recreation, Education and Science -----10
Wetland Rela ted Programs------------------------------------ 10
Wetland Definitions -----------------------------------------10
Loca I Regula tory Authority ------------------------------- 11
State Regulatory Authority-------------------------------- 11
Federal Regu latory Authority ---------------------------- 12
Non-Regulatory Federal Wetland Programs --------- 12
Chapter 2: Wetland Hydrology
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Types of Wetland Hydrology---------------------------------14
The Wetland Hydroperiod ------------------------------------15
Flooded Wetland Types ----------------------------------------17
Sa tura ted Wetland Types -------------------------------------- 17
Recognizing Wetland H yd rology --------------------------- 18
Chapter 3: Wetland Plants
22
What is a Hydrophyte? ---------------------------------------- 22
Wetland Plan t Lists -----------------------------------------_____ 22
Wetland Ind icator Status -------------------------------------- 23
Identifying Wet land Plants ----------------------------------- 24
Wetland Plant Keys --------------------------------------------- 24
Wisconsin's Wetland Plant Communities ---------------- 25
Shallow, Open Water Communities (Plate 9) -------- 25
Deep and Shallow Marshes (Plates 10 and 11) ------25
Inland Fresh Meadows ----------------------------------------- 27
Sedge Meadows (Plate 12) --------------------------------- 27
Fresh (Wet) Meadows (Plate 13) ------------------------- 27
Low Prairies (Plate 14)-------------------___________________ 28
Calcareous Fens (Plate 15) --------------------------------- 28
Bogs ----------------------------------------------------------------- 29
Open Bogs (Plate 16) ---------------------------------------- 29
Coniferous Bogs (Plate 17) -------------------------------- 30
Shrub Swamps ---------------------------------------------------- 30
Shrub-Carrs (Plate 18) -------------------------------------- 30
A Ider Thickets (Plate 19) ----------------------------------- 31
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Wooded Swamps _____________ ' 4. ____________ •••• _____________ • •• 31
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Lowland Hardwood Swamps (Plate 20) --------------31
Coniferous Swamps (Plate 21) ---------.----------------- 32
Floodplain Forest Wetlands (Plate 22) -----------·---··32
Seasonally Flooded Basi ns (Plate 23) --..--0_----------- 32
Recognizing Hydrophytic Vegetation -------... ----------- 33
Domi nant Vegetation ----------------------••••• _------------ 33
Chapter 4: Wetland Soils
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H yd ri c Soi Is ---------------------------•• -------------------------.- 46
Soil Terminology ----------------------.... ----------------------- 46
Soil Drainage Classes -------------------......------------------ 47
Major Categories of Wetland Soils··············----····---- 47
Orga ni c Soil s ---------------------•••.....---------------------- 49
Mine ral Soils ----------------....•------------------------------ 49
Recognizing Wetland Soils in the Field ------------····-·-50
Texture Characteristics .-.---------------------------------- 50
Color Characteristics --••------------------------------------ 51
Problema tic Soi Is -----------•. -.---------------------------------- 52
Use of Soil Surveys ---------••. -.-------------------------------- 53
Chapter 5: Finding the Wetland Boundary
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Process -------------------------------------------------------------- 54
Prepa ra tion -------------------.-•••-------------------------------- 54
Using Maps ---------------------------------------------------- 54
Using Aerial Photographs --------------------------••..... 56
Selecting a Base Map ------------------------------••••.....- 56
Field Jnvestigation ----------------------------------------------- 56
Reconnaissance Survey ---------------------------------------- 58
Inspect the Lowest, Wettest Position
on the Landscape -------------------------------------------- 58
Note H uman-Induced Alterations ---------------------- 58
Identify the Plan ts Present -------------------------------- 58
Examine the Soils -------------------------------------------- 59
Determine How the Site Meets the Wetland
Parameters For Plants, Soils, Hydrology: --------- 59
Finding the Outer Wetland Boundary ----------------- 59
Commun ity Characterization ---------------------------- 60
Co llecti n g Da ta --------------•••---------------------------------- 60
Header Information ------------------.---------------------- 60
Vegeta ti on ----------------------------------------------------- 61
H yd rology ------------------------------------------------------ 61
Soils --------------------------------------------------------------- 6 1
Wetland Determination ------------------------------------- 61
Locating the Boundary ------------------------.----•. ----.-.-.. 61
Using Transects -------------------------••....••••.....-•••-....-- 62
Marking the Boundary ----------------------------.---...••. -.- 63
Reporting the Wetland Delineation to the State -------- 64
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Chapter 6: Preparing Of Evaluating a Delineation Report
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Delinea tor Quali fications --.-----------•••••----------.-------- 66
Introd uctory Section -------------------------------..---.------- 66
Met hod s Section ------------------------------------------------- 67
Results And Discussion Section ----------------------------- 67
Concl ud ing Section ---------------------------------------------- 68
Literatu re Ci led Sect ion ------.--------------------------------- 68
A ppend ices Section ••----••••••-.------••----------------------- 68
Chapter 7: Sources Of Information
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Maps ------------------------------.. --------.... -.--------.---------- 70
Aerial Phologra phs -----------•. --------•.....------------------- 70
Preci pi til tion ---------------------------------------------... ------. 71
H yd rology --------------~~--~-~ •• ------~~ ~ ••-••• -- ---~~~~~~~--~~~~~ 72
Soil s -----~ ~ ----------~ ~ --------~ ~ ~---~~~~ ~ ~----. -~ ------~~~ ~-~~~~-~ -- 72
Vegeta ti on .~- - --- -~ •• ~.~~----~~~----- -------- ---------- ------- ------ 73
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Plant Identification Manuals and Field Guides
Popular Guides ----------------------------------------------- 74
Technical Guides --------------------------------..--... ------ 74
Combination Popular ilnd Technical Guides --------75
Ot her Guides ----------------------------------------.--- --~~-- 75
literature Cited
Glossary
Appendix
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C
HA
P
T
ER
What Are Wetlands?
B
OgS, fells, swamps (lnd wet prairies-these (Ire amoHg the Iwtural
cllviroll11/WtS we calf wetlnllds. You may
have grown lip fhil/killg tile best wetland
was Olle cOllVerted to allother lise, slIch
as drained for agriClllture or filled for developlllCllf. III
fact,
mal1Y
laws
enCOl/r-
aged alld evell rewarded the il1dllstriolls
COllverter of wetlallds. But today we better llllderstalld the delicate inter-relatiollship of /lntl/ral systems . 01lr society
has come to recognize that wetlnllds COl/tribute ill remarkable ways to 01/1' health,
economy, quality of life and the weI/-being of the lIatllrnl ellvirollment.
Withollt wetlal1ds, hUlldreds of
WisCOl1sill's pfaHt (llld (lI1imn l species
would /lot survive. Wetlal1d soils (lnd
pia/Its have tile capacity to lrap alld hold
polllltallts, thereby protectillg water
quality ill lakes, streams and rivers.
"Spollgy" wetialld soils hold water from
heavy raills, dramatically reducillg
storm and flood damage. Wetlal1d plal/ts
slow fhe flow of water, thereby de/ayillg
the tillle it takes storm waters to reach
major tributaries. Actillg as a bllffer betweell l110villg water alld the shore, wetlallds help prevellt erosioll and stabilize
shore/illes.
Why We Need Wetlands
Weti<mds and the functions they provide
vary. The following section describes the basic functions that CI1I1 occur in a wet l;md.
Whether a specific wetland performs these
functions depends on many variables including: wetland type, size, previous physic.11 innuences/natur,'11 or human-induced, location
of the wctland in the landscape and the surrounding land lise. Wet lands also changc over
time and may function differently from year
to year or season to senson. These are very dynamic ecosystems.
Florol Diversity
Floral diversity refers to the number and
nbundance of plant species, their genetic composition and variability, and the ecological
connection between and among species. In
this respect, the floml diversity of native wetland species serves as an important standard
by which we measure the functioning of a
reservoir of native species, as well as the genetic heritage of those species. Wetlands with
a high floral diverSity tend to be more aesthetically pleasing; provide benchmarks to
which the human impact on similar wetlands
can be quantified. and eva luated; and are better able to more naturally respond to environmental changes.
In addition, wetlands with a higher floral
diversity of native species support a greater
variety of native plants and are more likely to
support regionill!y scarce plants and plant
communi ties. As such, these wetlands tend to
be more villuable than wetlands exhibiting
lower florill diversities. Loss of the more diverse wetland plant communities creates a
smaller reservoir of species through a loss of
the less common and more sensitive species.
Ultimiltely, the number of diverse wetland
communi ties could become so small that the
continued existence of many niltive wetland
species over time would be compromised.
Fish and Wildlife Hobitot
Many animals spend their whole lives in
wetlands; for others, wetlands are critical
habitat for feeding, breeding, resting, nesting,
escape cover, or travel corridors. Wisconsin
wetlands provide important spawning
g rounds for fish, nurseries for mammals and
waterfowl, and criticill habitat for shorebirds,
marsh birds and songbirdS. In addition, they
provide lifelong habililt for some frogs and
turtles. Wetlands are illso essential habitat for
smaller aquatic orgm)isms in the food web,
including crustaceilns, mollusks, insects, and
planktonic and simililr microscopic organisms.
Some of the most valuable wetlands for
fish and wildlife p rovid e diverse p lant cover
and open water within large, undeveloped
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tracts of land. This function may be considered particularly important if the habitat is regionally scarce, such as the last remaining
wetland in an urban setting.
Flood Protection
Due to dense vegetation and location
within the landscape, wetlands are important
for retaining stormwater from rain and melting snow moving toward surface waters and
floodw c1ter from rising stre<1ms. Wetlands
slow the movement of stormwater run-off
and can provide storage areas for floodwaters, thus minimizing adverse impacts to
downstream areas. Preservation of wetlands
can prevent needless expenses for flood and
stann water control projects such as dikes,
levees, concrete lined channels and detention
basins.
Wetlands located in the mid or lower
reaches of a watershed contribute substantially to flood control since they are in the
path of more water than their upstream counterparts. When several wetland basins perform this function within a w<1tershed, the
effect may be reduced flooding in the watershed area.
Flood protection is especially important in
urban settings (where pavement and other
impervious surfaces contribute to run-off)
and arC<lS with steep slopes, overgrazing, or
other land use features which increase
storm water rulloff and water velocity. Functional v<llues attributed to wetlands can provide economic benefits to land owners whose
property is subject to flooding.
Water Quality Protection
Wetland plants and soils have the capacity
to store and filter pollutants ranging from
pesticides to animal wastes. Calm wetland
waters, with their flat surface and flow characteristics, allow particles of toxins and nutrients to settle out of the water column. Plants
take up certain nutrients from the water.
Other substances can be stored or transformed to a less toxic state within wetlands.
As a result, our lakes, rivers and streams arc
cleaner and our drinking water is safer.
Larger wetlands and those which contain
dense vegetation are most effective in protecting W<lter qU<llity. If surrounding land uses
contribute to soil runoff or introduce manure
or other pollutants into a watershed, the value
of this function may be especially high.
Wetlands which filter or store sediments or
nutrients for extended periods may undergo
fundament<ll changes. Care must be taken to
ensure that the wetland sedimentation and
nutrient loading rates do not become excessive, otherwise the sediments will eventu<llly
fill in wetlands and the nutrients will eventually mOdify the vegetation. Such changes
can result in the loss of many wetland functions over time.
Shoreline Protection
Shoreland wetlands may <lct as buffers be"vcen land and water. They protect against
erosion by absorbing the force of waves and
currents and by anchoring sediments. Roots
of wetland plants bind lake shores and
streambanks, providing further protection
Benefits include the protection of habit<lt and
structures, as well as land which might otherwise be lost to erosion. This function is especially important in waterways where bo..,t
traffic, water current and wave action cause
substantial damage to the shore.
A wetland which reduces erosion can also
reduce sedimenta tion to nearby waterways. If
the waterway is a navig<ltional channel, the
reduction in sedimentation can help to reduce
the frequency of maintenance dredging.
Groundwater Recharge
and Discharge
Groundwater recharge is the process by
which surface waler moves into the groundwater system. Although recharge usually occurs in the higher parts of the landscape,
some wetlands can provide a valuable service
of replenishing groundwater supplies. The
filtering capacity of wetland p lants and substrates may also help protect groundwater
quality.
Groundwater discharge is the process by
which groundwater is discharged to the surface. Groundwater discharge is a more common wetland function and can be important
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for stabilizing and maintaining stream flows,
especia lly during dry months. This can result
in an enhancement of the aquatic life communities in the downstrenll1 areas. Groundwater
discharged through wetlands can contribute
towcnd high quality water in our lakes, rivers and streams. [n some cases groundwater
discharge sights afe obvious, through visible
springs or by the presence of certain plant
species.
Aesthetics, Recreation,
Education and Science
Wetlands are great places to study, hike, or
just drive by. They provide peaceful open
spiKes in landscapes which are under development pressure and have rich potentia l for
hunters and anglers, photographers, scientists
and students,
Wetlands provide exceptional educational
and scientific research opportunities because
of their unique combination of terrestrial and
aquatic life and physical/chemical processes.
Many species of endangered and threatened
plants and animals are found in wetlands.
Wetlands located within or near urban settings and those frequently visited by the public are especia lly valuable for the social and
educational opportunities they o ffer. Open
water, diverse vegetation and lack of pollution also contribute to the value of specific
wetlands for recreational and educational
purposes and genera l quality of li fe.
Wetland Related Programs
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Wetland Inventory Program, esti mates that about half of Wisconsin's original
wetlands have been destroyed since presettlement times. Preserving those that remain
has become crucial. Because it costs less to
protect wetlands than to try to restore them,
and because restoration is not always possible
once the land has been converted to other
uses, a number of government programs have
been established to manage and conserve the
wetlands that remain.
There <He three layers of regulations which
apply to wetlands: local, state and federal.
The fo llowing is a brief overview of some of
the definitions of wetlands and regulations as
they apply in Wisconsin.
Wetland Definitions
State Definition
Section 23.32(1), Wisconsin Statutes, states
that "wetland" means an area where water is
at, near or above the land surface long
enough to be capable of supporting aquatic
or hydrophytic vegetation and which has
soils indicative of wet conditions.
Federal Definitions
Corps of Engineers Definition
33 CFR s.328.3(b) 1992; 40 CFR 230.3(t),
232.2(r). The term "wetlands" means those
areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under
normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life
in saturated soi! conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas.
U.S. Department of Agriculture· Food Security Act Definition
16 uses s .3801(a)(16). The term "wet _
land", except when such term is part of the
term "converted wetland" means that:
(A) has a predominance of hydric soils;
(B) is inundated or saturated by surface
or groundwater at a frequency and duration
to support a prevalence of hydrophytic vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated
soil conditions; and
(e) under normal circumstances does
support a preva lence of such vegetation.
For purposes of this act "hydric soils" and
"hydrophytic vegetation" means:
16 uses s.3801(a)(8) The term "hydric
soil" means that, in its undrained condition,
is saturated, flooded, or ponds long enough
during a growing season to develop an
anaerobic condition that supports the growth
and regeneration of hydrophytic vegetation.
16 uses s.3801 (a)(9) "hydrophytic vegetation" means a plant growing in: (A) water, or
(B) a substrate that is at least periodically
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deficient in oxygen during a growing season
as a result of excessive water content.
16 USCS s.3801(b) The Secretary shall develop: (1) criteria for the identification of hydric soils and hydrophytic vegetation; and (2)
lists of such soils and vegetation.
Local Regulatory Authority
Shoreland-Wetland Zoning: Villages and
Cities (55. 61.351 & 62.231, Stats. & NR 117)
Counties (s. 59.971, Stats. & NR 115)
Villages, cities and counties are required by
state law to establish shoreland-wetland zoning d istricts . At a minimum, all wetlands or
portions of wetlands fi ve acres or greater in
size that are within 1,000 feet of a lake, pond
or flowage, or within 300 feet of the floodplain of a navigable river or stream, whichever is greater, are subject to this protective
zoning. Permitted activities in shoreland-wetland zones include a variety of recreational
uses, maintenance of existing drainage systems, some agricultural activities, and limited
road and utility construction. Zoning ordinances enacted under NR 115 and NR 117
generally prohibit any drainage, dredging,
filling or flooding of wetlands.
ote that general zoning law (ss. 59.97,
61.35 & 62.23) gives municipalities authority
to provide additional wetland protection.
Sewer Service Area Planning and Oversight (s. 144.025(1)-(2), s. 147.25, Stats., NR
121)
As part of the development of statewide
water quality management plans, the DNR
contracts with local planning agencies to develop sewer service area plans to protect
water quality, encourage cost-effective methods for sewer extensions, and protect environmentally sensitive areas including wetlands.
Loca l governments have the option to adopt
the sewer service plans as part of their zoning ordinances.
State Regulatory Authority
Coastal Zone Management Act - Coastal
Consistency
Through the federal Coastal Zone Management Act, administered in Wisconsin by the
Wisconsin Coastal Management Program
(WCMP) in the Department of Administration, the state has regulatory authority within
the state's coastal zone along the Great Lakes,
including authority over wetlands. The program is known as the "federal consistency
program." Any proposed activity that is federally funded, federally licensed or permitted,
or conducted by a federal agency and is likely
to affect the coastal zone, must be consistent
with the enforceable policies of the WCMP in
order to proceed. The regulations used by the
federal consistency program include those
under the Department of Natural Resources
and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and
Consumer Protection. Currently, the Wisconsin coastal zone consists of the following: on
the waterward side, the state boundary; on
the landward side, the inland boundary of the
fifteen counties with frontage on Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, or Green Bay. Projects
outside the coastal zone, but within the Grea t
Lakes drainage basins, that arc likely to impact the coastal zone also may be regulated
by the federal consistency program.
Chapter NR 299 - Water Quality Certification
Chapter R 299 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, administered by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (D R),
estab lishes the "procedures and criteria for
th e application, processing and review of
state water quali ty certifications required by
the Federal Water Pollution Control Act" (i.e.
the "Clean Wa ter Act"). NR 299 certifications
pertain to a II fed er a 1 permits or licenses in
which a discharge to waters of the state, including wetla nds, is involved. The code sets
forth th e criteria and process to follow in determining whether the state deny, grant, grant
conditi onally, or waive certification for a
given activi ty. Certification will only be
granted where the Department has reasonable
assurance that any discharge will comply
w ith sta te water quality related concerns as
requ ired by state law (see NR 299.04) .
Chapter NR 102 - Water Quality Standards for Wisconsin Surface Waters
Chapter NR 102 of the Wisconsin Administra tive Code, administered by the 0 R, establishes, in conjunction with chapters R
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103 to 105, water quality standards for surface
waters of the state pursuant to s. 144.025
(2)(b), Wisconsin Statutes. Water quality standards are designed to protect the public interest, which includes the protection of public
health and welfare and the present and prospective uses of all waters of the state for
public and private water supplies, propagation of fish and other aquatic life and wild
and domestic animals, domestic and recre-
ational purposes, and agricultural, commercial, industrial, and other legitimate uses. [n
all cases where the potential uses are in conflict, water quality standards shall protect the
general public interest. Water quality standards are the basis for deriving water quality based effluent limitations and for decisions
in other regulatory, permitting or funding
activities that impact water quality.
Chapter NR 103 - Water Quality Standards for Wetlands
Chapter NR 103 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, administered by the DNR, establishes water quality standards fOf wetlands
in accordance with s. 144.025(2)(b), Wisconsin
Statutes. These water quality standards are
applicable to most Department regulatory,
planning, resource and financial aid determinations which may impact the quality and
uses of wetlands, including NR 299 certification decisions. NR 103 requires consideration
of alternatives that avoid vvetland impacts. If
wetlands must be affected, it must be shown
that there are no significant adverse impacts
to wetland functional values in order to meet
water quality standards. The standards do not
apply to shoreland -wetland zoning decisions,
activities specifically exempted from state and
federal regulations, and activities where more
specific provisions have been enacted into
law.
Section NR ],95 - Wetlands Preservation,
Protection and M anagement
Section NR 1.95 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, administered by the DNR, was
promulgated in 1978 to establish the Department policy on "wetlands preservation, protection and management." The rule sets forth
the ~ of the Natural Resources Board that
"wetlands sha!1 be preserved, protected, and
managed to maintain, enhance or restore their
values in the human environment." The rule
requires that impacts to wetlands be considefed in all Department regulatory and management actions.
Chapters 30 & 31 of Wisconsin State Statutes
Chapters 30 & 31, administered by the
WDNR, regulate construction and waterway
alteration in and adjacent to navigable waters,
including dams, filling, water diversion, grading and dredging. Dredging and constructing
dams on non-navigable waterways is also
regulated. In order to be permitted, activities
must not be detrimental to the public interest (water quality, fisheries, natural scenic
beauty, etc.) and must comply with state \,."etland water quality standards. Any such activity that is found to have unacceptable impacts
on wetlands cannot be permitted.
Federal Regulatory Authority
Section 404 of the Federal C lean Water
Ad
The Corps of Engineers (COE) regulates
discharges to "waters of the U.5." including
filling and excavation of wetlands. Section 404
applies to most wetlands in the sta te, including those isolated from lakes and rivers. All
COE regulated activities under Section 404
must comply with Chapter NR 299 of Wisconsin Administrative Code.
Rivers and Harbors Act (Section 10)
The Corps of Engineers regulates most activities in major "navigable waters of the
U.s .", including the Great Lakes and most
major river systems. State water quality certification is applicable to activities authorized
by the COE.
Non-Regulatory Federal
Wetland Programs
Swa mpbu ster
The Food Securities Acts of 1985 and 1990,
administered by the Natura l Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) ' and the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service
1 The Soil Conservation Service (SCS) is now the
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) .
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(ASCS)' provide that federal farm program
benefits will be withheld to persons who
plant an agricultural commod ity crop on a
wetland converted by draining, dredging, lev·
eling or by any other means after December
23,1985, or who convert a wetland for agri·
cultural commodity crop production after
November 28, 1990. While not regulatory,
Swampbuster eliminates the monetary incentive to destroy \vetlands to increase agricultural production.
Conservation Reserve Program
The Food Securities Act of 1985, administered by the ASCS, allows the federal government to enter into contracts w ith agricultural
producers to remove highly erodible croplClnd
and cropped we tlallds from production for 10
to 15 years in return for annual rental pay-
ments . This program is administered by the
ASCS with help from the NRCS, state water
resources programs, the EPA and the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Serv ice (USFWS).
Wetland Reserve Program
The Food Securities Act of 1990 authorized
the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP). It pro·
vides a voluntary program offering landowners the opportunity to receive payments for
restorin g and protecting wetlands on their
property. The WRP obtains either permanent
o r 30·year conservation easements from
participating landowners and provides cost
share payments for wetland restorCltion. The
program is administered by the NRCS and
the U.s. Fish Clnd 'Wildlife Service (U5FWS),
with assistance from state \vater resources
programs.
CHAPTER
2
Wetland Hydrology
etlands forll1 in areas subject to
W
periodic {loading or where water
presCl1t for extended periods during
is
the growil1g season and for longer periods during the non -growing season.
Water usually comes from rainfall,
snowmelt, a rising water table, or
groundwater seepage. Water lI1ay be
present on the surface of wetlands for
varying periods, as in flooded or ponded
wetlands, or it !nay sill1ply keep the underlying soils saturated Ilear the surface
with no surface water present. Prolonged saturation in the root zone of
plants creates an environment that limits the growth of most plants and favors
hydrophylic vegelalioll (24).
To be designated as a wetlalld ill
Wisconsin, an area must be capable of
supportil1g aquatic or hydrophytic vegetatiOll and have soils that are indicative
of wet conditions. This chapter discusses
Ihe differellilypes of wetlalld hydrology,
the seasonal variations ill wetland hydrology, and how to recognize wetland
hydrology il1 Ihe field .
Wetland Hydrology Types
Wetlands can be understood based upon
landscape position and source of water (13,
14,15). Wetlands generally form in those portions of the landscape with relatively stable
sources of surface and/or subsurface water
that can saturate the ground for long periods,
such as depressions and areas adjacent to
streams and lakes. Wetland systems in Wisconsin continuou sly receive tlnd lose wtlter
through severa l mechanisms, including:
• precipitation, infiltration tlnd evtlpotranspiration;
• overltlnd flow and runoff;
• inflow and outflow from streams and
lakes; and
• discharge from tlnd rechtlrge to the
groundwater.
Figure 2.1 The following are examples of
typical hydrologic conditions for wetlands in
Wisconsin:
Depre ssion Wetlands Fed by S urface
Water.
A surftlce water depression wetland occurs
where precipitation and overland flow collect
tlnd where wtlter leaves primarily through
infiltration (soaking into the ground) and/or
evapotranspiration (Figure 2.2, left). Classic
forms of this type o f wetland in Wisconsin
include potholes and marshes.
Figure 2.1
Th e
hydrologic
cycle.
Source: DOA,
M. Hill &: T. Pizer.
Adapted from
Heath. 1963.
...........
15
Figure 2.2.
Depression
wellonds fed
by surface
water (left)
and groundwater (right).
Source: WTI, M.
Hili S: T. Pize r.
Ado pted Irom
Nov llz kl, 1979.
Depressio n Wetl and s Fed by G roundwater.
These occur where a depression intercepts
the waler table (Figure 2.2, right) and receives
groundwater inflow as well as some precipitation (lnd overland flow. Calcareous fens and
cedar swamps are prime exa mples of thi s
type of wetland.
Slope Wetland s Fed by Surface Water.
Surface water wetl(lnds occur along the
sloping margins of lakes and streams (Figure
2.3, left) This type of wetland receives lake or
river floodwaters in addition to runoff and
direct precipitation. Water levels decrease in
the wet land as the lake or river levels decline
and by infiltration and evapotranspiration.
Hoodplain forests, shrub swamps and marshes
are typical examples of this type of wetland.
S lope We tl and s Fed by G round wa ter.
These wetlands occur where groundwate r
disclH'Irges as springs or seeps on the sloping
land surf(lce (Figure 2.3, right). The amount
of groundwater inflow to the wetland ma y
range from a relatively small percentage to (l
majo r portion of the total water budget of the
wetland. This results in wide differences
among wetland plant communities and soil
development rates. This type of wetland is
rarely flooded because water can drain away
downslope. Fens and marshes are plant communities that typically develop on side-slope
seepages.
Other Wetl and s Fed by Surface Water.
In relatively flat, p<Xlrly drained areas (Figure 2.4), precipitation ma y be "perched" on
top of a confining layer (such as hardpan or
a clay layer) and this results in a "perched"
wetland. This perched, high \vater table occurs from late s ummer to late fall into the
spring or early summer. By midsummer, water usually cannot be seen, which makes these
among the most difficult wetlands to identify.
The Supe rior Clay Plain s in northwestern
Wisconsin provide a good example of this
type of wetland.
The Wetland Hydrop eriod
The frequency and duration of inundation
(flooding or ponding) or soil saturation is a
major factor that separates wetlands from
non-wetlands. The hydroperiod is the hydrologic signature of a wetland and refers to the
seasonal variation in surface and/or subsurface water levels over time. The duration of
inundation or soi l saturation in wetlands varies widely from permanent flooding or saturation to irregular flooding or sa turation. Of
the three components used for wetland identification, hydrology is often the least exact
and most difficult to observe in the field due
to multi-year, annuaL seasonal and daily !luctuations.
Land sca pe position, soil type and vegeta-
Figure 2.3
Slope
wetlands
fed by
surface
water (left)
and g ro undwater (ri ght) .
Soul ce : WTL , M.
Hill & 1. Pize l.
Adopted flam
Nov ilzki . 1979 .
;.;;.;;.;;.;~~~
tion cover can affect and reflect the wetland
hydroperiod . Landscape configuration, such
as slopes or depressions, also determines how
quickly water drains. Low areas in a floodplain or marsh usually have longer periods of
inu ndation and saturation than higher elevations . The soil types also influence the d uration of i nundation or saturation . For
example, clayey soils have low permeability
and absorb water more slowly tha n sandy or
loamy soils and thus remain saturated much
longer. The type and amount of p lant cover
also affect the duration of saturated soil conditions. Excess water drains more slowly in
Figure 2.4 Other wetlands fed by surface
water.
Soulce: WTI , M . Hill & T. Pizel.
areas of abundant plant cover. On the other
hand, dense stands of vegetation, especially
woody vegetation, can pump a great deal of
water ou t of the soil and release it to the air,
thus lowering wa ter tables and reducing the
d uration of near-surface saturated conditions.
The wetland water regime is continuously
changing in response to seasonal variations in
precipitation and evapotranspiration, as well
as to longer cyclical variations in streamflmv,
lake levels and groundwater leveis . In Wisconsin, standing water present in wetlands
varies considerab ly during the spring and
summer growing seasons and during the late
fa ll and winter seasons. In any wetland wi th
less than a permanent water regime, there
will be times of the year when water wi ll not
be visible above, at or near the surface of the
la nd . Some typical seasonal fluctuations in
hyd roperiod for wetlands in Wisconsin are
depicted in Figure 2.5 (32) . During the summer months, water levels in all of the wetland
types decrease. In some of them, surface water is completely absent and the saturation
zone (Figure 2.5) has dropped "\ovell below the
surface. G roundwater levels often rise very
rapidly at the onset of the dorman t season
w hen evapotranspiration is low and precipitation may be high. A site visit during a time
of cyclical fluctuations might lead one to
make an incorrect evaluation about whether
or not a wetland is present.
17
, - - - - - - - - - - -- -- - - -- -- - -- - -- - - - - - - - - - l
Water
Hydrog rap h
01 some
Elevation
(ft)
commonly
8.0
- - River Floodplain
6.0
/'
4.0
2.0
0.0
/
-
'"\ \
\
\
~
- · ·Fens, Bogs, etc.
\
......-....:::.~:.../',',
......~===~
- . - . - . -.~.~ . - .'4.~.
Sum mer
Flooded Wetland Types
Tem poraril y fl ooded wetland s. Surface
water is present for brief periods (usually
less than two consecutive weeks) during
the growing season, and during the summer the water table may drop to more
than three feet below the soil surface.
These wetlands arc common along floodplains of major rivers and respond to
rainfall and snow melt events.
Se aso nall y fl ooded we tland s. Surface
water remains for longer periods (usually
more than two weeks) during the growing season. However, by summer the sur-
face water disappears. In these wetlands
•
Deepwater Marsh
- . - Sem ipermanent Ponds
Spring
•
Figure 2. 5
the water table usually remains at or very
near the surface in the summer. The water regime of such wetlands is considered
seasona ll y flooded /saturated. Sedge
meadows and fresh (wet) meadows are
examples of this type of wetland.
Se mipe rma n e ntl y fl ood e d w etland s .
Surface water is presen t throughout the
growing season in most years. Only du~­
ing droughts or other extended dry penods is surface water absent. Yet the water
table remains at or very near the surface
during these times. Shallow marshes are
an example of thi s wetland.
Perma n entl y flooded wetland s. Surface
water is present th roughout the growing
Autumn
season and nongrowing season in all
years except those of the most extreme
droughts. These wet lands include deep
marshes and shallow open water zones of
lakes, rivers and streams (generally less
that 6 feet in depth at low water).
Saturated Wetland Types
Other ,"vetlands rarely have surface water
present yet their soils are saturated near the
surface for much of the growing season. Wetlands with saturated soil conditions include
the following:
• Floating wetl and s. Bog vegetation may
extend as floating mats into deep waters
of lakes and large ponds. While the edges
and center of the bog may have open
water, the vegetation o f the mat itself is
normally never flooded, but rises and
falls with fluctuating water levels. Its
peaty substrate remain s saturated
throughout the year (24).
• See p a ge w etl a nd s. [n sloping areas
where groundwater discharges to the
land surface, the so il surface remains
saturated for prOlonged periods of the
growing season ("seasonal seeps") or the
entire season ("pe rmanent seeps"), yet
water flows continuously downslope and
does not collect on the land su rface (24).
occuring
wetland
types in
Wisconsin .
Source, WTI ,
11. Pierce.
Adapted 'rom
Zimmermon.
1988.
18
•
Perched water tabl e wetlands. These are
flat areas that have sufficient rainfall or
snow-melt to saturate the soil but not to
inundate the land with surface water. Because of a confining layer close beneath
the surface, soils in the root zone generally are saturated for a few weeks to a few
months in spring and early summer but
rarely have surface water. They m<ly remain unsaturated during much of the
grow ing season in some years.
Recognizing
Wetland Hydrology
Water is the driving force in the creation of
wetland communities. Understanding a site's
hydrology is a good aid in identifying wet-
lands. Most of the time, you can recognize
wetland hydrology by observing surface water or saturated soil conditions. Yet in many
instances, especially illong the uppermost
boundary of wetlands, hydrology is not
readily apparent, especially during the drier
times of the year. This is true particularly in
wetland s supported primarily by groundwater or wetlands that are seasonally inundated
by floodwaters. It is unlikely that you will be
able to observe the range of variation in hydrology with a single visit to any location.
Finding the boundary of a wetland is always sim pler if the hydrology is understood.
Understanding the source of water, when it
shou ld be present, how long it should remain
and the path by which it arrives will greatly
help the observer reach sound judgments
about the nature of the landscape. Useful
hydrologic informati on may be found in
stream gauge data, lake ga uge data, fl ood
predictions and historical flood records.
Ae[ial photographs also can be useful. in
Wisconsin, inundation (flooding or ponding)
and soil saturation are best observed using
ae rial photographs t<lken during the early
spring when snow and ice are gone and
leaves of deciduous trees and shrubs have not
yet appeared. This allows detection of wet soil
cond itions that otherwise would be obscured
by the tree or shrub c<lnopy.
You C<ln often observe indirect indic<ltors
(6, 7) of wetland hydrology on the landscape
itself. When considering these indicators, it is
important to be aware of recent extreme
flooding and heavy rainfall that could cause
low-lying non-wetlands to exhibit some of the
same signs. Also, remember that hydrology
varies seasonally and annually as well as
daily. For example, in the late summer many
groundwater-dominated wetlands reach their
low water points, making wetland hydrology
indicators difficult to find.
Visual observation of inund ation (Plate 1
in Chapter 3). The most direct and revealing
hydrologic indicator is the extent of inundation . However, both seasonal conditions and
recent weather conditions should be considered when observing an area because they
can affect w hether surface water is present on
a non-wetland site.
Visual observation of water table (Plate 2
in Chapter 3). Dig a hole to a depth of 20
inches or more, wait until water d rains into
the hole and observe the level at which water stands in the hole. The waiting time varies depending on soil texture. When applying
this indicator, factor in both the season of the
year and the preceding weather conditions.
As discussed above, the absence of groundwater during the time of year when it should
be deep below the surface of the ground or
during a drought cannot be relied upon to
indicate a non-wetland. Conversely, if a heavy
rainfall has recently saturated a narrow zone
in the soil profile, then it may appear that
wetland hydrology is present when it is not.
Above the water table a saturation zone
often exists. In the saturation zone water is
lifted above the level of the water table by the
surface te nsion resulting from the close ly
packed soil particles. The tighter the soil, such
as clay with its small pore spaces, the higher
the water is lifted. Immediately above the
water table is a zone of tension saturation
where essentially all the pores are filled with
water. The upper edge of this zone of tension
saturation is commonly called the capillary
fringe (Figure 2.6). In the capillary fringe, fingers of satura ted soil project up toward the
surface. Plants that are either rooted below
the water table, in the zone of tension saturation or in the capillary fringe lIlust be able to
tolerate periods of saturation to survive.
19
Visual observation of so il saturation
(Plate 3 in Chapter 3). Saturated conditions
in many soils can be inferred by observing
glistening moisture on freshly broken ped
surfaces of the soil. As with the previous indicator, when applying thc soil saturation
indicator, factor in both the season of the year
and the preceding weather conditions.
Oxidized channels associated with living
roots or rhizom es (Plate 4 in Chapter 3).
Some plants are able to survive saturated soil
conditions because they can transport oxygen
to their roots. Look for brownish yellow to
yellow ish-red color (iron oxide concentrations) along the channels of living roots as
evidence of soil satu ration for a significant
period during the growing season. This colored channel is known as an oxidized rhizosphere. The rhizosphere refers to the entire
root zone whether it is or is not saturated. See
Chapter 4, Wetland Soils, for other wetland
hydrOlogy indicators in soils.
Watermarks (Figure 2.7). Watermarks arc
found most commonly as stains on woody
vegetation, but may also be observed on nonwoody vegetation or other fixed objects, such
as bridge pillars, buildings and fences. When
several watermarks are present the highest
usually reflects the maximum extent of inundation.
Drift lines (Figure 2.8). These are deposits of debris in a line on the wetland surface
or debris entangled in aboveground vegetation or other fixed objects. Drift lines are usually found adjacent to streams or other
sources of water flow in wetlands. Debris
usually consists of remnants of vegetation
such as branches, stems and leaves; sediment;
litter; and other water-borne m<lterials deposited more or less parallel to the direction of
water flow. Drift Jines generally do not indicate the maximum portion of the area inundated during fioodlllg because materials
generally are deposited as the water recedes.
Waterborne sediment deposits. Plants and
other vertical objects often retain thin coatings
of mineral or organic matter after inundation.
Th is evidence may remain for a long time
before precipitation or subsequent inundation
washes it away. Sediment deposits on vegetation and other objects do not indicate the
maximum inundation level. In some situations, organic matter may accumula te and/or
mats of filamentous algae form in depressions
with standing water. After the water recedes,
the o rganic mats may remain (Plate 5 in
Chapter 3).
Surface scoured areas. Surface scouring
occurs along floodplains where overbank
flooding erodes sediments, for example, at the
Figure 2.6
Water
infiltrates
the ground
surface
and slowly
percolates
downward
through the
unsaturated
lone to the
saturated
lone.
I
Soulce: WTI .
M. Hili a T. Plte,.
Adopted 110m
Heath. 1983.
Figure 2.7
Wate rmarks
on a stand
of trees.
Figu re 2.8
Drift material
deposited at
the base of a
tree during a
flooding event.
Source: WTI,
It Pierce.
Source WTI.
It Pierc e .
base of trees and along drainnge ways. The
absence of leaf litter from the soil surface also
may indicate scouring. Forested wetla nds that
contain standing waters for long periods will
occasionally have areas of bare soil, sometimes associated with local depressions .
Wetl and d ra inag e p attern s. Many wetlands, such as potholes (which have no ou tle ts and have slowly permeable soils) or
br.:lided stream courses, have characteristic
patterns on the landscape that indicate where
surface water flows during s torm even ts .
These drainage patterns often can be recognized in the field or on aerial photographs or
topographic maps. HOWEVER, some drainage patterns also occur in upla nd areas after
periods of considerab le p recipitatio n . So
when applying this indicator, consider also
the topographic position .
Waterstained leaves (Plate 6 in Chap ter 3).
Forested wetlands that are inundated early in
the year frequently have waterstained leaves
on the forest floor. These lea ves are grayish
or blackish in appear{l nce, darkened from
being underwater. To use this indicator, compare leaves o f the same species from both
inside the suspected wetland and the immediately adjacent non-wetland. Leaves altered
by decomposition under inundated or saturated conditions differ in both color and texture t h an those of the same species in
imm ediately ad jacent non -wetland areas.
Caution should be exercised when util izing
this indicator. For example, stai ning of the
leaves also could be the result of leaves being wet from melting snow, which would not
be an ind icator o f wetland hydrology.
M orp h ologica l p lant adaptations. Many
plants growing in wetlands have developed
morphological adaptations in response to inundation or soil saturation. Examples include,
buttressed tree trunks, multiple trunks (Figure 2.9), adventitious roots (Figure 2.10), shallow roo ! systems (Plate 7 in Chapter 3),
float ing stems, floa ting leaves, polymorphic
leaves, h ypertrophied len ticels, infla ted
leave s, stem s o r roots, and aerenchym a
(ai rfilled) tissue in roots and stems (see Table
3.1 in Chapter 3 for examples of plants wi th
these adaptations). These adaptations (especially when they occur in young plants) can
be used as hyd rolog ic indicators when
21
Figure 2.9
Multiple
trunks
caused by
high water
ta ble stress.
Figure 2. 10
Adventitious
roots on a
black willo w
caused by
prolonged
inundation.
Source: WTI,
R. Pie rce.
Sourc.: WTI.
R. Pierce.
coupled with strong evidence that no significant hydrological modification, such as ditching or tiling, has occurred.
For example, deciduous trees often develop shallow roots as a morphological adaptation to survive a high water table for long
duration. While the roots keep growing vertically downward when they are subjected to
a long period of saturated soils that lack oxygen, they die (see Plate 8 in Chapter 3 for an
example of vertically growing roots). Thus, as
the tree grows, the roots that live grow hori-
zontal to the ground surface and only as deep
as the seasonal h igh water table. However, it
is important to note that shallow root systems
may develop unrelated to wetland hydrology.
When evaluating sites having trees with shallow root systems, look for layers of shallO\\I
bedrock or hard pans as these conditions may
cause such root systems to develop as well.
In add ition, soils with a high concentration of
a luminum may also cause trees to develop
shallow root systems.
22
CHAPfEt?
3
Wetland Plants
G "e of the quickest a/ld easiest ways
to recognize many wetlands is to
become familiar with characteristic wet-
land plants (or hydrophytesJ, Many
plants are easily recognized by the 110/1botanist, since leaf shapes, leaf margins,
flower types, and flower characteristics
nre quite different among plant species.
(24) Vegetation is the primary way to
recognize wetlands in Wisconsin.
Through the years, botanists and
ecologists have observed and recorded
many species of plallts growing in wetlands. Many of these plants grow only
hI wetlallds, yet a large number of plants
are more wide-ranging, found in both
wetlands and uplands to varying de-
grees. Only recently has the available
scientific inforll1ation on plant ecology
been thoroughly reviewed to compile a
list of the pla/1ts that occur (more than
rarely) in wetlal1ds (24).
What is a Hydrophyte?
Plants which can tolerate long periods of
flooding or saturated soil conditions are
called hydrophytes. In the same way that
humans need the oxygen in air, most plant
roots need oxygen to survive. In flooded and
saturated soiis, bacteria quickly deplete the
oxygen from the soil. Plants without the necessary adaptations to regulate water intake
and/or tolerate oxygen-deficient soils cnnnot
survive in wetlands. Hydrophytes have developed mechanisms, or adaptations, that allow them to regulate the amount of water that
enters their cells and/ or tolerate having their
roots in soils lacking oxygen.
Some observable structures and forms that
plants growing in wetlands have developed
in response to oxygen-deficient soils include
buttressed tree trunks (those with swollen
bases), shallow root systems, floating stems,
floating leaves, and inflated leaves, stems or
roots. Subtle variations between individual
plants undoubtedly exist even though we
may not be able to readily recognize them.
For example, individual plants of some typically upland species may have adapted to
saturated soil conditions. Since all plants
growing in wetlands have adapted in one
way or another to periodically flooded or
saturated soils, the individuals can be considered hydrophytes (24). (See Table 3.1 for a
more complete list of these features and the
species that often display them.)
Thus, hydrophytes are not restricted to true
aquatic plants growing in water (e.g . ponds,
lakes, rivers and estuaries), but also include
plants morphologically and/or physiologically adapted to periodic flooding or saturated soil conditions typical of marshes,
swamps and bogs. [t is important to understand that the category of plnnts that we call
hydrophytes applies to individual plants nnd
not to species of plants, although certnin species may be represented entirely by hydrophytes, such as smooth cordgrass and
broad -leaved cattail (24).
Wetland Plant Lists
In an effort to classify plants according to
their wetland tolerance, the United States Fish
and Wildlife Service, in cooperation with the
Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Natural Resources
Conservation Service, have published the
National List of Plant Species That Occur ill
Wetlands. This list was developed through a
review of the scientific literature and consensus evaluation by various wetland experts,
plant ecologists and botanists (20). The list
separates plants into five groups based on a
plant species' frequency in wetlands. The
group which a plant falls into is known as its
"wetland indicator status."
Upland plants usually do not appear on
the wetland plant list. If a species is not on the
list, in general it is presumed to be an Obligate Upland (UPU plant. However, there may
be a few wetland plant species that have been
inadvertently excluded from the list. If you
suspect that a plant is a wetland plant and
you do not find it on the list, you should consult an expert.
The National List has been subdivided into
23
Table 3.1
Morphological adaptations of some plants for growing in permanently or periodically
flooded or saturated soils. Adapted Irom: Environmental Laboratory 1987.
Adaptations
Examples 01 Plants With Adaptations
Buttressed Tree Trunk
Green Ash (FrQX;nU5 pennsylvonica)
Multiple Trunks
Pneumataphores
Adventitious Roots
Arising Irom Siems
Shallow Roots Systems
Red Maple (Acer rubrum). and Silver Maole (Acer socchorinum)
Unlikely to be found in Wisconsin
Box. Elder (Acer negundo), Green Ash, Block Willow (Salix nigra), Eastern
Cottonwood (Populus de/loides). and Willows (Solix spp.)
Red Maple, Northern While Cedar (Thujo occidentalis), Tamarack (Larix /arcino)
Hypertrophied Lenticels Red Maple. Silver Maple. and Willows
Aerenchyma
Giant Burreed ($parganium eurycarpum), Soft Rush (Juncus effusus). Soft
(air filled tissue)
Stemmed Bulrush (Sc;rpus validus). Water Shield (Brasenio schreberi).
in Roots and Siems
Splkerushes (Eleacharis spp.). Buckbean (Menyanthes trifOliata). Cattails (Typha
spp.)
Polymorphic leaves
Arrowheads (Sag/ttorio spp.) and Water Parsnip (Sium suave)
Floating Leaves
Woter Shield. Spatterdock Lily (Nuphor luteum). and White Water Lily
(Nymphaea odorata)
regional and sta te lists. The lists include the
species' common names, their scientific names
and any other names by which they arc known.
For Wisconsin, usc the list for Region 3, the
North Central Region. (See Chapter 7 for infor·
mation on obtaining this list.)
Wetland Indicator Status
To help identify plants that tolerate long
periods of flooding or saturated soil conditions, a wetland indicator status has been assigned to most of the plants that grow in or
adjacent to Wisconsin's \vctlands. Essentially,
the wetland indicator status of a particular
plant species is assigned as follows:
Obligate Wetland Plants (OBL) occur almost always in wetlands under natural
conditions (estimated probability 99%);
Facultative Wetland Plants (FACW) usually occur in wetl<mds (estimated probability 67%-99%), bu t occasionally are
found in non-wetlands;
• Facultative Plant s (FAC) are equally
likely to occur in wetlands or non-wetlands (estimated probability 33%--67%);
• Facultative Upland Plants (FACU) occur
most often in non-wetlands (estimated
probability 67%-99%) ;
•
Obligate Upland Plants (UPL) occur almost always in non-wetlands (estimated
probability 99%) under natural conditions. (5)
Obligate Wetland (OIlL) plants, such as
wild rice (Zizollia aqllafica), can tolerate satu·
rated and inundated soil conditions but do
not compete well with other species in upland
conditions. Other species, such as whorled
milkweed (Asclepias vaficellnflls), can tolerate
only short or no periods of soil saturation.
These me known as Obligate Upland (UPL)
plants and they almost never occur in wet·
land s under natural conditions (estimated
probability less than 1 %) (20).
Facultative Wetland (FACW) plants (e.g.
silver maple, Acer Sflcc/mrilllllll) usually are
found in wetlands (estimated probability
67%-99%), but occasionally are found in nonwetlands. These plant species tolerate saturated soil conditions and/or short periods of
flooding on a regular basis. They may also
compete well with other species in upland
conditions. Facultative Upland (FACU) plants
(e.g., red oak, QllerClls mba) usually are found
in non-wetlands (estimated p robability 67%99%). Plant species which are equally likely
to occur in wetlands or non·\Vetiands (estimated probability 34%--66%) are known as
Facultative (FAC) plants (e.g., red maple, Acer
rllbmm).
24
Identifying Wetland Plants
Wetland vegetation generally can be separated into five major life-form groups:
Aquatic herbs ~ non-woody free-floating
species and floating-leaved rooted vascular
plants. Also included are submergent nonwoody plants growing beneath the water's
surface;
Emergcllt herbs-non-wood y plants whose
stems and leaves normally extend above the
water's surface or grow erect or prostrate in
periodically flooded or saturated soils. They
can be subd ivid ed into three general subtypes: ferns and fern allies (e.g. marsh fern,
royal fern and marsh horsetail); grasses and
grasslike pl<lnts (e.g., sedges and rushes); and
broad-leaved herbs <c.g . duck potato and Joe
pye weed);
Shrubs-woody plants shorter than 20 feet,
including young trees (saplings), as well as true
shrubs with multiple woody stems (e.g. red
osier dogwood, &1.nd bar willow, and tag alder);
Trees- woody plants 20 feet or taller and
typically with a single main stem or trunk
(e.g. black ash and tamarack); and
Woody vil1es-other woody plants which
climb other plants (using them for support)
or trail along on the ground (e.g. river-bank
grape).
It is important to use the wetland indicator status to determine the presence of hydrophytic vegetation. Obligate wetland plants
(OBL) and FACW plants are the best vegetative indicators of wetlands. FACU and UPL
plants are the least indicative of wetlands
and, thus, better indicators of uplands. Interestingly, FAC plants, such as red maple and
occasionally FACU plants, such as hemlock,
may predominate in wetlands. By considering the presence, abundance and distribution
of all of the plants (that is, the entire plant
community) one can make a better assessment of the site's wetland status.
Wetland Plant Keys
Before you can assign an indicator status
to a plant, you must be able to identify it.
Plant identification is cha llenging, but with
practice and assistance, most people can learn
to recognize the more common Wisconsin
• ·!O,~
(7
/
NORT HERN FOREST
FLOR IST IC PROVINCE
Figure 3.1
Vegetation
Tension Zone
in Wisconsin.
Adapted hom
Curtis, 1971.
(
PRAIRIE· FOREST
FLORISTIC PROV INCE
wetland plants. Books on phmt identification
fall into two genera l categories : nontechnical
field guides, which rely heavily upon drawings and/or pictures; and taxonomic keys,
often named "The Flora of_." Most good
book stores carry a selection of field guides.
Some guides may include a technical "key"
along with the description. Popular and technical field guides which will be useful in Wisconsin are listed in Chapter 7.
When yOll begin to lise field guides, remember that it is easier to identify plants
during the growing season when leaves are
mature and flowers arc present. With practice
and the aid of good field guides, you can
identify many species (especially the woody
ones) during the winter.
You may become frustrated at the number
of words in the keys that yOll don't know.
However, field guides and keys often provide
a glossary which defines technical terms. Your
progress may be slow at first, but don't get
discouraged. You'll get faster as you become
more familiar with the terms. A beginner
should probably start by identifying trees,
shrubs and forbs (herbaceous plants other
than grasses and sedges). Even experts have
trouble identifying grasses and sedges. Reserve them until after you become comfortable with trees, shrubs and forbs.
25
Wisconsin's Wetland
Plant Communities
Fifteen different wetland plant communities have been identified in Wisconsin (5) and
Me described in this guide. These community
types are listed in Table 3.2 along with a comparison of other common wetland classification schemes that have been used. Many
wetlands are made up of plant communities
that grade from Olle type to another. Thus, it
is common to see, for example, an open water Mea grade into an open bog, then into a
coniferous bog, and perhaps an alder thicket
before finally transitioning into an upland.
The flora of Wisconsin are armnged in two
major floristic provinces. A floristic province
is a large area with a relatively uniform composition of plant species. The two floristic
provinces in Wisconsin are the northern forest floristic province and the prairie-forest floristic province (2). These two provinces are
separated by an area in which many species
from both regions overlap. This region of
overlap is cnlled a vegetatiol1 tension ZO/1e. The
relntive position of ench province and th<lt of
the vegetntion tension zone nre illustrated in
Figure 3.1.
Figures 3.2 through 3.4 give stylized imnges of the relative position on the landscape
of each of the 15 wetland plant communities
found in Wisconsin. Some wetlnnd types,
such as bogs, typicnlly occur north of the
Wisconsin tension zone. Others, such as lovv
prniries, typicnlly occur south of the tension
zone (5). You cnn use this concept of floristic
provinces, nlong with the following detai led
descriptions of the 15 wetlnnd plnnt communities, to help identify a ptlfticultlf type of
wetland community. The wetland plant community descriptions are excerpted from
Eggers and Reed (5).
Shallow, Open Water
Communities (Plate 9)
Shallow, open water plant communities
generally have water depths of less than 6.6
feet. Submergent, floating and floating-leaved
aquatic vegetation such as pond weeds
(Potamogetoll sp.), water-lilies (Nymphaea sp.,
Nuphar, sp.), water milfoil (Myriophyllum
verticil/afum), coontail (CeratophyllulII
demcrSllll1) and duckweeds (LclIJlla sp., Wolffia
sp.) characterize this wetland type. Floating
vegetation mayor may not be present depending upon the effects of the season, wind
and availability of nutrients.
Shallow, open water communities differ
from deep and shallow marshes in that they
are seldom, if ever, drawn down. As a result,
emergent aquatic vegetation cannot become
established. These communities can provide
important habitat for waterfowl, terns, furbearers, fish, frogs, turtles and aquatic invertebrates. The submergent plants and aquatic
invertebrates provide food for waterfowl,
which is especially important during their
annual migrations. Such are<lS are import<lnt
for waterfowl production in drought years
bec<luse they retain water longer than other
wetlands.
Deep and Shallow Marshes
(Plates 10 and 11)
Emergent aquatic plants growing in permanent to semi-permanent shallow water
characterize the vegettltion of marshes (Figure
3.2). Emergent aqu{ltic plants, with their
stems and leaves rising above the surface of
the water, typically become established and
spread when water levels are low or when the
marsh soils are exposed. Examples of such
species include cattails (Typha sp.), hardstem
bulrush (Scirplls ani/liS), pickerel weed
(Polltederia cordata) and giant burreed
(Sparganillm elirycarpulIl). Also present are
species of shallow, open water communities,
as well as those found in sedge meadows and
seasonally-flooded basins. These latter species
may be found growing on muskrat lodges,
floating mats and muck soils exposed during
droughts or artificial drawdowns.
Marshes are among the most productive of
all wetlands for water birds and iurbearers.
Birds that use marshes for breeding and feeding include: ducks, geese, rails, herons, egrets,
terns and songbirds . Raptors such as the
osprey, bald eagle and northern harrier frequent marshes in search of prey. Important
furbearers inhabiting marshes include muskrat and mink. Marshes can provide excellent
26
Tobie 3.2
Compo rison of Wetlond Plont Community Classification Systems
Wetland Plont
Classification of Wetlands and
Deep Water Habitots of the
United States (eo..adnelQi. 1979)
C~ttyTypes
Wisconsin
Wetland
of ttis Guide
Inventory
Shallow, Open
Water
Aquatic bed. submerg enl
and Mooting
Pa l ust~ne Of lacustrine. littoral:
aquatic bed; submergen!'
rtoating. and fiooling·leoved
Type 5: Inland open fresh
water
Oeep
Aquotlc bed. submergenl.
and IIoalng; and pefsistenl
and nonpersistent. emergent!
welmeodoW
PoIustrne or Iocustrne. tttorol;
Type 4 Inkmd deep fresh
Marsh
~
bed; submergent.1'ooaIing.
crd IIoomg-Ieaved; 8I'nEIfQ8I'1t
Fish and Wildlife
Service Circular 39
(Show ood Fredf1e 1971)
=""
persistent crlCI nonpersistent
Shallow
Marsh
P9fsislenl 000 nonpersistent.
Palustrine: emergent; pe1'Sistenl
Type 3: Inland $hollow
emergent/weI meadow
and nonpersistent
fresn marsh
Sedge
Narrow-leaved persistenL
emergent/wet meadow
Palustrine; emergent: narrow·
Type 2: Inland fresh
leaved persistent
meadow
Bfood- and narrow-leoved
persistent. emergent/wet
meadow
Polushine; emergent; brood- and
narrow-leaved persistent
Type 1: Seasonally flooded
basin 01' not; Type 2:
Inland fresh meadow
Brood- and narrow-leaved
persistent. emergent/wet
Palustrine: emergent: brood- and
norrow-Ieaved persistent
Type 1: Seasonally Mooded
basin or fiat; Type 2:
Inland freilh meadow
Narrow-leaved persistent.
emergent/wet meadow; and
bfoocHeaved deciduous.
scrub/shrub
PokJsIrine; emergent; narrowleaved persistent: scrub/shrub;
brood-leaved deciduous
Type 2: Irklnd tresh
meadow
Moss: and brood-leaved
evergreen. scrub/shrub
Palustrine; moss/lichen: scrub/
shrub: b rOOd-leaved everg reen
Type 8: Bog
Brood-leaved evergreen.
scrub/shrub; and needleleaved evergreen and
deciduous. forested
Palustrine; forested; needle-leaved evergreen and deciduous;
scrub/shrub; bfoad..Jeoved
evergreen
Type 8: Bog
Shrub'Carr
Brood-leaved deciduous.
scrub/shrub
Polustline; scrub/shrub: broodleaved deciduous
Type 6: Shrub swamp
Alder
Thicket
Brood-leaved deciduous.
scrub/shrub
Palustrine: scrub/shrub: broodleaved deckluous
Type 6: Shrub swamp
lowland Hardwood Swamp
Brood·leaVed deckluous.
forested
Palustrine; fOl'ested; bfood-1eoved
deciduous
Type 7: Wooded swamp
Coniferous
Swamp
Needle-leaved deciduous
and evergreen. forested
Palustrine; forested; needleleaved deciduous and evergreen
Type 7: Wooded swamp
Floodplain
Forest
Brood-leaved deciduous,
forested
Palustrine: forested: b rood-leaved
deckluous
Type 1: Seasonally fiooded
baSin Of fiat
Seasonally
Flooded BaSin
Flals/lrWegetated weI soil;
and perSistent ond nonpersistent. emergentfwet meadow
Palustrine; fIot; emergent;
persistent and nonpersIStent
Type 1 Seasonally flooded
basin Of flat
Meadow
Fresh (Wei)
Meadow
low
Prairie
meadow
Calcareous
Fe,
Open
'og
Conilerous
Bog
Adopted hom: Eggers and Reed. 1987
27
winter habitat for upland wildlife, including
ring-necked pheasant and eastern cottontaiL
They also help replenish fish populations in
adjacent lakes and rivers by providing
spawning habitat, most notably for northern
pike and muskellunge.
Marshes in Wisconsin are typically divided into deep (standing water greater
than 6 inches deep during most of the growing season) and shallow marshes (water
depth 6 inches or less during most of the
growing season), depending on water permanence and depth, and degree of soil saturation during the growing season . The plant
communities in both deep and shallow
marshes are similar.
Inland Fresh Meadows
Inland fresh meadows are wetland communities with nearly 100 percent vegetative
cover composed of perennial forb, grass and
sedge mixtures growing on saturated soils.
The four types of inland fresh meadows
found in Wisconsin are: sedge meadows,
fresh wet meadows, low prairies and ca\careous fens. Standing water is usually present
only during floods and snowmelt . Inland
fresh meadows often form a transition zone
between aquatic communities and uplands.
Peat/muck soils indicate permanent saturation and lack of oxygen.
Plants in inland fresh meadows include
species found in other communities, such as
the annuals of seasonally flooded basins, and
emergent aquatics of marshes. Woody plants
are not dominant. However, scattered, small
individua l shrubs or trees may be present.
The forbs, grasses and sedges of inland fresh
meadows can tolerate inundation to a greater
degree than most woody species, but they
suffer if inundation during the growing season lasts for more than one or two weeks.
Because these wetlands lack standing water
during most of the growing season, they are
often called "dry marshes" .
In land fresh meadows have important
water quality functions. They trap sediments
and assimilate nutrients. They retain
stormwater and floodwater. They provide
habitat for many species, including sandhill
crane, ring-necked pheasant, common snipe,
sedge wren, small mamma ls and white-tailed
deer. The abundance of small mammals supports predators such as mink, fox and raptors
such as the northern harrier. The seeds from
plants with daisy-like flowers (Asteraceae)
found in these meadows are an important fall
and winter food source for songbirds. Finally,
inland fresh meadows often are used for pasture or cut for "marsh hay".
Sedge Meadows (Plate 12)
Sedge meadows are dominated by sedges
(Cyperaceae) growing on saturated soils.
Most of the sedges belong to the genus Carex
Other sedges found in sedge meadows include spike rushes (Eleocharis sp.), bulrushes
(ScirplIs sp.) and nutgrasses (Cyperus sp.) .
Grasses (Poaceae), such as Canada bluejoint
grass (Calalrlagrostis calladel/sis), and true
rushes (juncus spp.) are also found in sedge
meadows. The forb species are diverse bu t
scattered and may flower poorly under intense competition with the sedges.
Soils found in sedge meadows usually are
composed of peat or muck. Some sedges form
hummocks . Both pea t /muck and hummocks
are composed of undecayed fibrous roots and
rhizomes. Sedge meadows often grade into
sha llow marshes, ca\careous fens, low prairies
and bogs. Management o f sedge meadows
requires occasional fires to stimulate spring
growth of the sedges while setting back invading woody vegetation. The fertile organic
soils associated with sedge meadmvs have
encouraged the practice of muck farm ing.
However, the artificial drainage and subsequent lowering of the water table that occurs
during this practice may cause shrub invasion
in the portion of the sedge meadows that remain.
Fresh (Wet) Meadows (Plate 13)
Fresh wet meadows are dominated by
grasses, such as red-top grass (Agrostis alba)
and the invasive, non-native, reed canary
grass (Phalaris artllldinacea), and by forbs such
as giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) growing
on saturated soils. The grass family (Poaceae)
and aster family (Asteraceae) are well represented in fresh (wet) meadows. Fresh (wet)
28
Figure 3.2 (left)
Stylized c ross section 01 a lake basin .
Source: Eggers ond Reed. 1988.
UPLAND
CONIFEROUS
SWAMP
WELL· DRAINED
SOILS
LOWLAND
HARDWOOD
SWAMP
ALDER THICKET
SHRUB·CARR
DEEP
MARSH
LAKE
PEAT/MUCK OR PooRLY·DRAINED
MINERAL SOILS
meadows probably represent young communities resulting from recent disturbances and
degradation of other inland fresh meadows
by drainage, silta tion, cultivation, pasturing,
peat fires ;:llld/or temporary flooding. Once
established, the forbs and grasses of the fresh
(wet) meadow community may persist for
extended periods.
Low Prairies (Plate 14)
Low prairies afe open, herbaceous plant
communities covered by low growing plants
with at least half of the vegetative cover m<1de
up of true grasses (Poace"c) (2) . Low p r<lirie
communities typically occur south of the vegetation tension zone, although a few low prairie species may be found in sandy barrens
and wet swales north of the tension zone.
These communities are similar to fresh (wet)
meadows, but arc dominated by native
grasses and fo rbs associated with p rairies,
such as prairie cord grass (Spartilla peetillata),
big blucstem (Alldropogoll gerardil), gayfeather
(Liatris pYCllostacilya), New England aster (As-
ter lIovne-allgfiae), culver's root (VerollicusfrJIlfI
virg;/IiCIII11),
p rairie dock (Si/pililllll
ferebillthillaceum) and sawtooth sunflower
(Helimlfl11ls grosseserratlls) .
Calcareous Fens (Plate 15)
Calcareous fens are the rares t wetland
plant comm u nity in Wisconsin and probably
in North America. Acti ve springs are frequently associated with calcareous fens. They
flour ish in wet, seepage sites that have an
internal flow of groundwater that is rich in
ca lcium and magnesium bicarbonates and
someti mes calcium and mag nesium su lfates.
These compounds precipitate out at the surface, creating harsh, alkaline soil. Only calcium-tolerant plants, referred to as ca1ciphiles,
can survive these conditions. C haracteristic
species incl ude shrubby cinquefoi l (Potell/illa
fruticoSII), sterile sedge (Carex sleri/is), beakt.-d
spike rush (Eleoc/mr;s roslel/ata), Ohio goldenrod (Solidago oll;oe1/s;s), common valerian
(Va/erialla edulis) and lesser fringed gen tian
(CelllimlOpsis proeera). Also included are spe-
29
Figure 3.2 (right)
A meadow- marsh-open water complex.
Source: Eggers ond Reed, 1988.
cies d isjunct from the tundra, alpine meadows and salt marshes.
Calcareous fen communities in general
have more rare, threatened and endangered
p lant species than other plant communities in
the Great Lakes region. Trout streams are often associated with calcareous fens because of
the cold, pure water provided by the springs
and seepages.
Bogs
Bogs are a specialized wetland type found
on satu ra ted, acid peat soils that arc low in
nutrients (Figure 3.3). They support a unique
group of trees, low shrubs and herbs growing on a mat of sphagnum moss. In Wisconsin, most bogs are found north of the
vegetation tension zone.
Early ecological theory held that bogs are
one stage in a succession from an open water
lake to a climax mesic hardwood forest. The
bog originates on a floating mat of sedges,
which becomes co lonized by s ph agnum
mosses. As the mat gradually thickens and
becomes more stable, it is colonized by the
evergreen shrubs of the heath family
(E ricaceae), such as leath erleaf (Cha/naedaphlle ca lyell/ata ), labrador tea (Ledlllll
growlalldicli/n), bog rosemary (Andromeda
g/aucoplrylla), and small cnmberry (Vaceillium
oxycoeeos). Eventually, tamarack and black
spruce can be supported by the mat. The fina l stage of succession is, theoretically, a
mesic hardwood forest. Dating of bog peats,
however, has demonstrated that many may
remain in an early stage of succession for
thousands of years, perhaps ncvcr reaching
cl imax forest conditions.
Open Bogs (Plate 16)
Open bogs are composed of a carpet of Jiving sphagnu m moss growing over a layer of
acid peat. Herbs and/or the low shrubs of the
heath families (Ericaceae) colonize the sphagnum moss mat. Immature or stunted trees of
black spruce (Picca mariana) and/or tamarack
(Larix laricina) may be scattered through the
30
area. Forest habitat fails to develop for several
reasons: the conditions arc too wet for tree
species; the sphagnum moss mat is too thin
to support trees; the occurrence of recurrent
fires and summer frosts; and/or lack of a seed
source for the tree species.
Coniferous Bogs (Plote 17)
. Coniferous bogs are similar to open bogs
plant community composition and structure except that mature black spruce (Pian
mariana) and/or tamarack trees (Larix iaricil1a)
are the dominant species growing on the sphagnum moss mat. Sphagnum moss remains
In
the dominant ground layer species. A few
sedges, orchids and pitcher plants that have
endured the shaded conditions are often
present along with the heath family
(E rictlceae) shrubs.
Black spruce and the heath fam ily shrubs
are characteristic only of acid peats such as
those associated with sphagnum moss mats,
whereas tamarack can grow in calcareous
peats, such as those of northern white cedar
swamps.
Figure 3.3
Stylized c ross
sec tion 0 ' a
bog basin.
Source; Eggers
r;md Reed, 1988.
UPLAND
Shrub Swamps
Shrub swamps are wetland plant communities dominated by woody vegetation Jess than
20 feet in height. Shrub swamps of Wisconsin
are categorized as shrub-carrs and alder thickets depending on the dominant shrub species.
Both occur on organic or mineral soils as invaders of inland fresh meadows, as well as on the
alluvial soils of floodplains.
Shmb swamps provide a valuable habitat for
many songbirds, ruffed grouse, American woodcock and small manmlals. They also arc an imPJrtant winter habitat for ring-necked pheasant,
eastern rottontail and white-tailed deer.
Shrub-Corrs (Plote 18)
Shrub-carrs are plant communities composed of tall, deciduous shrubs growing on
saturated to seasonally-flooded soils (5). They
are usually dominated by willows (Sa/ix sp p.)
and/or red-osier doS""ood (Comus sl%ni/era)
and sometimes silky dogwood (Comus
nmomum). Shrub-carrs usually retain some of
the forbs, grasses and sedges of the inland fresh
meadows. These communities are common both
north and south of the vegetation tension zone.
UPLAND
BOGS
CONIFEROUS
OPEN
31
Three non-native shrub species are invading shrub-carrs, especially where drainage
and pasturing have disturbed the area. These
are the honeysuckle (Lonicera x bella), fen
buckthorn (Rhamnus fml1gula) and common
buckthorn (RlwmllllS c(ltilartica).
Alder Thickets (Plate 19)
Alder thickets are also a tall, deciduous
shrub community similar to shrub-carrs, however, speckled alder (Alllus rugosa) is the
dominant shrub. Speckled alder can pioneer
exposed peat or alluvial soils because of its
tiny seeds and ability to fix nitrogen. Alder
thickets are generally found in and north of
the vegetation tension zone.
Speckled {Ilder may be the only shrub species in a stand or it can be part of a growing
community that includes other shrub species
including high-bush cranberry (Viburllllm
trilobum), sweet gale (Myrica gale), and common winter berry holly (]lex verticillata) .
Wooded Swamps
Wooded swamps are forested wetlands
dominated by mature conifers and/or lowland hardwood trees. They are usually asso-
ciated with ancient lake basins and former
riverine oxbows. Wooded swamps include
northern wet-mesic forests and southern wet
and wet-mesic hardwood associations.
Wooded swamps function to retain
storm water and floodwater. They also provide habitat for wildlife including whitetailed deer, furbearers, songbirds, ruffed
grouse, barred owl and amphibians.
The wooded swamps of Wisconsin are distinguished by whether the domin{lnt trees are
deciduous, hardwood or coniferous.
Lowland Hardwood Swamps
(Plate 20)
Lowland hardwood swamps are dominated by deciduous hardwood trees, have
soils that are S{lturated during much of the
growing season and may be inundated by as
much as a foot of standing water (21). The
dominant trees include black ash (Fraxillus
lIigra), red maple (Acer rlIbrum), yellow birch
(Betula alleg/wlliellsis) and, south of the vegetation tension zone, silver maple (Acer
saccharillum). Northern white cedar (Tlllija
oceidelllalis) can be a subdominant species in
stands north of the vegetation tension zone.
American elm (Ullllus americana) is still an
~---~-----r-SE-D-G-E-M--"EA~D~D~W-r------.-~r------,-------,
UPLAND
CALCAREOUS
FEN
FRESH (WEn
MEADOW
ALDER
THICKET
SHRUB .CARR
RIVER
FLOODPLAIN
FOREST
UPLAND
Figure 3.4
Sf r
d
Y Ize cross
section o f a
1-___-I-____-+_L~O~W::..::P:RA:'~R~IE'____+----__+--+-----+-----_1 (iver valley.
Source : eggers
ond Reed, 1988 .
GROUNDWATER
DISCHARGE
FLOODPLAIN
32
import .. nt component of this community, although its numbers have been greatly reduced by Dutch elm disease. These
communities commonly <lfe found on ancient
lake basins.
Coniferous Swamps (Plate 21)
Coniferous swamps are forested wetlands
dominiltcd by lowland conifers, (primarily
northern white cedar and tamarack) growing on
soils thai aTC saturated during much of the
growing season, and that may be inundated by
as much as a foot of standing water. The soils
usually are organic (peat/ muck) and can vary
from nutrient-poor and acid, to fertile and alkaline or neutraL Tamarack (Lnrix luricil/o) typica lly dominates the nutrient-p)t)f and acid soils,
and northern wh ite cedar (Tlllljn occidCllfn/is)
dominates the fertile and alkaline OT neutral
soils. In coniferous swamps, a sphagnum moss
mat is not present. Occasionally, evergreens
common in uplands, such as eastern hemlock
(Tsllga calladensis)' may be dominant in this wetland type (7). Coniferous swamps occur primarily in and north of the vegetation tension zone.
Floodplain Forest Wetlands
(Plate 22)
Floodplain forest wetlands Me dominated
by mature, deciduous hardwood trees growing on alluvial soils associated with riverine
systems (Figure 3.4). These wetlands often
occur in the backwaters and depressions of
rivers which retain water for a long period
into the growing season and at the base of
slopes leading to the lower floodplain terraces. The soils in the wetland components of
the floodplain typically have hydric characteristics while those on the higher points in
the landscape where flooding is very brief do
not. Alluvial soil-deposited in some places
<1nd eroded in others-cha racterizes the
floodplains. Floodplain forests typically include northern and southern, wet-mesic hardwood fores t associat ions (2). Dominant
hardwoods in floodp lain wetlands include
silver maple (Acer saccilflrilllll11), green ash
(Fraxil1l1s I'cl1l1sylvallica), river birch (Betllla
nigra), eastern cottonwood (POpll/IIS de/toides),
American elm (Ulmlls americana) and black
willow (Salix lIigm). The herbaceous
groundlayer is commonly composed of jewelweed (/lI1l'aliellS sp.) and nettles.
Floodplain forests support diverse plant
and animal species bcc<1use they serve as
migr<1tion corridors. Wildlife species include
wood ducks, barred owls, herons, egrets and
a variety of songbirds. Pools within the forest m<1y provide habitat for amphibians and
invertebrates. Adjoining areas of open sand
may provide habitat for reptiles. During high
water periods, these forests even provide
habitat for fish. Floodplain forests are extremel y important for floodwater storage.
Diking of floodpl<1in forests to allow development or agricultuml use can aggravate both
upstream and downstream flooding.
Seasonally Flooded Basins
(Plate 23)
Seasonally flooded basins are poorly
drained, shallow depressions that may have
standing water for several weeks or more
each year, but are usually dry for much of the
growing se<1son. These basins may occur as
kettles in glac ial deposits, low spots in
outwash plains or depressions in floodplains.
They frequently Me cultivated. However,
when these basins are not cultivated, the wetland vegetation which can establish itself
typica l!y includes smartweeds (POlyg01Il1I11
sp.), beggar ticks (Bidws sp.), nut-grasses
(Cyperus sp.) and wild millet (Echinochloa
crusgn//i). One unique aspect of seasonally
flooded b<1sins is that the alternating periods
of flood a nd drought can eliminate perennial
plants <1l10wing annual plant species to dominate the commun ity.
Season<111y flooded basins frequently support an <1bundance of p lant seeds and invertebrates, m<1king them ideal feeding and
resting <1reas for migrating waterfowl and
s~ orebi rd s. In spring, seasonally flooded basms are used as pairing ponds by ducks, and
the abundant invertebrate population provides it protein-rich diet for egg-laying hens.
33
Recognizing
Hydrophytic Vegetation
Persons making wetland determinations
should be able to identify at least the domiI~ant wetland plants in cach layer of vegetation of a plant community. Plant communities
have a layered structure that is readily observable in the field. Marshes, meadows ilnd
open bogs typically arc on ly composed of one
layer of vegetation-herbaceous. Forests may
have many layers. Typically, there is a high
canopy, or Qverstory, of mature trees. Saplings
and shrubs may grow underneath, with a low
herbaceous or ground layer on the forcst floor
and woody vines growing up the trees. When
examining a plant community to determine
w hether or not it has hydrophytic vegetation,
identify the dominant species in each layer
(those which most influence the character of
the community) . Once the dominant plClnts
arc identified as to genus and species, the
"wetlClnd indicator status" of the plant must
be determined from the List Of Plallts Thai Occllr III Wet/a/lds (20).
Dominant Vegetation
[n general, the more OBL and FACW plCln!
species present in the community, the greater
the likelihood that the areCl is a wetland. The
mos t obvious wetlands Me dominated by
OBL species s uch as cClttaiis or bulru shes.
However, by knowing the indicator status of
dominant plants, you can get a sense of
whether the area is likely to be wetland .
When identifying dominant vegeta tion
within a given plant community, consi der
dominance withi n each stratum. Vegetative
stra ta for which dominants should be determined include:
• mature tree (equal to or greater than 6.0
inches diameter at breast height (dbh)
and 20 feet or taller);
• sapling (0.4 to 6.0 inches dbh and 20 fect
or taller);
• shrub (usually 3 to 20 feet tall induding
woody multi-stemmed, bushy shrubs
and small trees and saplings);
• woody vine; and
• herb (non-woody or herbaceous plants
including graminoid s, forbs, ferns, fern
a llies, herbaceous vines Clnd tree seedlings less than 3 feet tall).
All dominant p lant species are treated
equally in determining whether hydrophytic
vegetation is present. When more than 50
percent of the dominant species of a plant
community are O I3L, FACW and FAC species,
the plant community is considered hydrophytic. There may be cases where a site is
dominated by FACU species, yet there are
signs of wetland hydrology and hydric soils
present. In such cases, the site may be determined to be wetland . Refer to the section on
Problem Area Wetlands in C hapter 5 for a
further discussion of these problem sites.
34
Pla te 1. A seasonally inundated red ma p le swamp . Source : WTI, R. Pierce.
Plate 2. Measurement of the water table in
a m inera l soil with a histic ep ipedon ,
Source: WT!, R. Pierce.
Plate 4. A living root surrounded by oxid ized
iron form ing a ~rh i zoshere." Source : J.
Teaford.
Pla te 3. Minera l soils that are saturated
often show water glisten ing when broken
apart. Source: WTt, C. Newling.
Plate 5. Matting of a lgae and other organic
matter after wate r has evaporated from a
wet depression, Source : WT!, C . Newling
35
Plate 6. Waterstained leaves. The upper
sycamore leaf is from a non-wetland area
in the forest adjoining Ihe wet depression
where the lower sycamore leaf was found.
Source: WTI , R. Pierce .
Plate 8. Deep penetrating rool ball from a
tree growing on wel l dra ined solis. Source:
WTI. R. Pierce.
Plete 7. Tree roots generally remain very shallow in areas wh ere the water table rema ins
close 10 the surface for long pe riods during the growing season. Source : WTI, R, Pierce,
36
Plate 9. A shallow, open water community in Walworth county. Source WTL C. Newling.
Plate 10. A deep marsh in Door County. Source: WTI, R. Pierce .
37
Plate 11. A shallow marsh in Walworth County. Sou rce: WTI, R, Pierce .
Plate 12. A sedge meadow in Walworth County. The inset shows the hum mocks typical of
many sedge meadows. Source : WT!, R. Pie rce.
38
Plate 13. A fresh (wet) meadow in the Town of Genesee, Waukesha County. The inset shows
a disturbed fresh (wet) meodow in the village of Germantown, Washington County. Source:
D. Reed.
Plate 14. A low prairie at Chiwaukee Prairie Nature Preserve in Kenosha County . Source: WTL
R, Pie rce ,
Plate 15. A calcareous fen known as Grotjan's Fen in the Town of Eagle. Waukesha County.
Source: D. Reed .
Plate 16. In the fo reground. an open bog in Lang lade County. Note in the inset . the thick
layer of liv ing sphagnum moss and the fiberous peal layer beneath Source WTI. C. Newling.
40
Plate 17 A coniferous bog in Langlode County. Sou rce: WTI, R. Pierce .
Plate 18. A shrub-carr in Scuppernong State Wildlife Area, Waukesha County. Source: WTI,
R. Pierce.
41
Plate 19. An older thicket in Langlade County. Source: WTI, R. Pierce.
Plate 20. A lowland hardwood swamp in Ozaukee County. Source: WTI. R. Pierce.
42
Plate 21 , A coniferous swamp in Ridges Sanctuary. Door County. Source: WT!. R. Pierce.
Plale 22 . A wetland area in a Wood County floodp lain forest. Source : WT!. C. Newling ,
43
Plate 23 . A seasonally flooded basin in Kenosha County. Source: S. Eggers.
Plate 24 . A profile through a typical organiC
muck (Histosol). Source NRCS.
Plate 25 . A peaty Histosol below the living
loyer of sphagnum moss, Source: WTI, C.
Newling
44
Plate 26 . Low Chromo. gray mineral soils
immediately below the surface horizon.
Source: WTI. C. Newling .
Plate 28. Typ ica l upland soils such as Velton
silt loam do not have a low chromo matrix
nor mottles . Source: NRCS.
Plate 27. Common. distinct, bright mottles in
a low chromo matrix characterize hydric
mineral soils such as Marshfield silt loam.
Source: NRCS.
Plate 29. Munsell soil color charts for hue
lOYR and gleyed soils. Source: WTI, R.
Pierce.
Plate 30 . Au G ras loamy sand is a spodosol.
Note the light gray E hO rizon between the
su rface layer and the thin, dark spod ic
horizon. Source: NRCS.
27
Plate 3 1 Example of U,S.G ,S 7.5' Quadrangle map depicting a wetland area near Madison.
Source : WTI, R. Pierce
Plate 32. Example of a false-co lor, infrared
aerial photograph of a wetland area near
Mad ison. Source : U.s.G.s.; WTI, R. Pierce .
Plate 33 . True-color ae ri al photog raph of
wetland a rea near Mad ison . Source : AeroMetric Eng ine e ring. Inc., WTL R. Pierce .
46
CHAPTER
4
Wetland Soils
S
oil is like a living blanket over the
surface of the earth. It contains: 1)
particles, both mineral and organic; 2)
open spaces (pores) filled with air and/
or water; and 3) living things such as
plants, animals and microbes . Soils form
over long periods of time. They are created by the combined effects of climate
and living organisms on the original
rock or other material from which they
weather (called the parent material) .
Flooding frequency and duration are also
key factors in soil formation, pnrtiCl/ larly with wetland soils. Wetland soils
are also created by the complete and incomplete breakdown of plant material 011
poorly drained sites. Soils that form jl1
wetlands generally develop distinct
characteristics because they are waterlogged - technically, under "aquic con ditions"- for long periods. These
characteristics help distinguish them
from soils that form in non-wetlal1ds.
Undrained to il1completely drained soils
with certail1 distinctive characteristics
have been termed administratively as
"hydric soils." Recognizing wetland (or
hydric) soils is useful in identiji;ing wetlands and locating their bOllndaries .
Hydric Soils
Hydric soils and wetlands develop because
relatively long periods of flooding and/or
saturation deprives the soil of oxygen. When
water displaces the air in soil pores, microbes
quickly use up all the free oxygen. If the soils
lack oxygen for long periods, a number of
chemical reactions occur which alter the appearance of the soil. This change in appearance is essential for identifying wetland soils.
In general, soil saturation occurs in low-lying
areas where groundwater seeps reach the
land surface, or when the flow of surface
water down into the soil is blocked by a
slowly permeable or impermeable layer such
as day, confining bedrock or hardpan.
The Food Security Act requires the
U.5.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to compile a list of wetland soils,
which they call lIydric soils. The term "hydric" refers to soils that are part of an administrative list that is compik'CI by the NRCS and
is subject to possible revisions. Hydric soil has
been defined by the NRCS as soil that is saturated, flooded, or ponded long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic
conditions in the upper layer. The National
Technica l Committee for Hydric Soils has developed a list of the nation's hydric soils,
most recently published in June 1991 (Table
4.1) (12). To get a copy of the list of hydric
soils for any county in Wisconsin, contact the
local NRCS office. In Wisconsin, the statutory
definition of wetlands simply states that the
soils be "indicative of wet conditions." This
definition is independent of whether or not
the soils appear on the official federal hydric
soil list. For the most part, however, wetland
soils in Wisconsin will be included in the
NRCS hydric soil lists. For the purpose of this
guide, the terms "hydric soils" and "wetland
soils" are used interchangeably.
Soil Termino logy
Like plant science, soil science is full of
specialized terminology. Some of the key concepts that you should understand include:
soil profile, soil horizon and soil matrix. A soil
profile is a vertical cut into the earth that exposes different layers of soil. The methods for
describing and interpreting a soil profile are
standardized and consist of comparing properties of parts of a specific soil profile with descriptive standards th,lt have been established
for the various properties of all soil profiles.
A soil horizon is a layer of soil, relatively
parallel to the earth's surface, which has distinct characteristics produced by soil forming
processes. The major horizons are 0, A, E, B,
C and R. The horizon is a surface accumulation of mainly organic matter which usually
overlies mineral soiL In wetlands, the
horizon may overlay either another organic
layer, or water, or parent material such as rock
or till. The A horizon is a mineral horizon that
°
°
47
Table 4 1
I
NTCHS Hydric Soil Criteria (1991)
The following criteria refiect those soils that meet
the hydric soils definition unless drained or p rotected from inundation:
1) All Histosols except Folists; or
2) Soils in Aquic suborders, Aquic subgroups, Alballs
suborder, Solorthids great g roup, o r Pell great
groups of Vertisols, Pachic subgroups, o r
Cumulic subgroups that are:
A) Somewhat poorly drained and have a
frequently occurring water table at le55 fhan
0.5 feet from the surface for a significant
period (usually more than 2 wee ks) during
the growing season; or
B) Poorly drained or very poorly d ra ined and
have either:
(0)0 frequenl1y occurring wate r table at le55
than 0,5 feet from the surface fo r a
signifiCant period (usually more than 2
weeks) during the growing season if
textures are coarse sand, sand, o r fine
sand in a ll layers within 20 inches, or for
other soils,
(b) a frequenlly occurring water ta ble at le55
than 1,0 feet from the surface for a
signifICant period (usually more than 2
weeks) during the growing season if
permeability is equal to or greater than
6.0 in/hour in all layers w ithin 20 inches, or
(c) a frequently occurring wate r table at less
than 1,5 feel from the surface for a
significant period (usually more than 2
weeks) during the growing season if
permeability is le55 than 6,0 in/hour in any
layer within 20 inches; or
3) Soils that are ponded for long duration or very
long duration during the g rowing season; or
4) Soils that ore frequently Mooded for long
duration or very long duration during the
g rowing season
Source: 12,
\
\
occurs at the surface or below an 0 horizon
and consists of a mineral fraction mixed with
some organic matter. The E horizon usually
underlies an 0 or an A horizon and is characterized by less organic matter which is
leached out into a lower horizon. The B horizon is a mineral horizon situated between the
A horizon and the weathered parent material
or bedrock layers. The B horizon represents
a transition between these layers and has distinctive characteristics related to an accumulation of day oxides, minerals and/or organic
matter. The B horizon is often the diagnostic
layer in making wetland soil determinations.
The C horizon is the parent material from
which the soil formed. The R horizon is the
bedrock or solid substratum underlying the
unconsolidated surface materials.
A soil matrix in an undisturbed soil sample
consists of a mixture of inorganic and organic
sol id particles in association with interconnected voids. Depending on local conditions,
varying amounts of water and gases occupy
the vo id s. The color and texture of the ma trix
are val uable characteristics which aid in recognizing the different soil horizons.
The appearance and characteristics of wetland soils vary greatly due to differences in
parent material, climate (rainfall and temperature), age, topographic relief and living organisms occupying the site. In identifying a soiL
you must be able to identify the parent material from which the soil formed. The following sections describe the methods you can use
to identify soils.
Soil Drainage Classes
Seven drainage classes are recognized by
soil scientists. They are listed here in order of
driest to wettest: 0) excessively drained ; (2)
somewhat excess ively drained; (3) wel ldrained; (4) moderately well -dra ined; (5)
somewhat poorly d rained; (6) poorly drained;
and (7) very poorly drained (see Table 4.1 for
definitions). Wisconsin's typical wetland soils are
classified as poorly drained, very poorly drained
and, ill sOllie cases, somewhat poorly drained
(Table 4.2) .
Most wetlands occur at low points on the
landscape. Landscape position creates different natural soil dr(lin(lge conditions, as shown
in Figure 4.1.
Major Categories
of Wetland Soils
Wetland soils are separated into two major types based on their material composition:
0) organic soils - soils which contain more
than 16 inches of organic material in the upper 32 inches of the soil profile; and
(2) mineral soils - soils composed largely
of sand, sil t and/or clay, even if they have
Table 4.2
Definitions of the Seven Classes of Natural Soil Drainage
Excessively Drained
W~ter is removed from the soil very rapidly. Excessively dr~ined soils are commo nly very coarse
textured, rocky or shilllow, but some are very steep. They include knolls, convex slopes and terrilces. All arc free of the mottling related to wetness.
Somewhat Excessively Drained
Water is removed from the soil rapid ly. M,lOy somewhat excessively drained soils are sandy and
Trlpidly pervious. Some arc s hallow. Some arc so steep that much of the water they receive is lost as
runoff. All ~re fn....: of the mottling related to wetness.
Well Drained
Water is removed from the soil readily, but not rap id ly. It is available to plants throughout most of
the growing season, and wetness docs not in hibit growt h of roots for significant periods during most
growing seasons. Well-drained soils arc commonly medium-textured. They are mainly free of low
chroma mottles within 40 inc hes of the mineral soil surbee.
Moderately Well Drained
Water is removed from the so il somewhat slowly during some periods. Moderately well-drained
soils nrc wet for only a short time during the grow ing season . They commonly have a slowly pervious layer at a considerable depth in the soi\, or periodically receive hig h rainfall, or both. They
vary from level to steep areas and include crests, upper p~rts of long smooth slopes and broad upland
terraces. These so ils usua ll y have low chroma mottles between 18 and 40 inches below the mineral
soil surfilce.
Somewhat Poorly Drained
Water is removed slowly enough thilt the soil is wet for significant periods during the growing season . Somewhat poorly drained soils commonly have a slowly pervious layer, a high water table,
additiona l water from seepage, nearly continuous rainfa ll, or a co mbination of these. They may
experience ~naerobic conditions for brief periods, usually ea rl y in the growing season . They are represented by level to strongly stoping areas including long smooth side-slopes, broad depress ions.
and seasonal seepage areas. They usually have low chroma mottles between 7 and 18 inches below
the minerill soil surface or have drainage mottles wi thin the E-hor izol1 (albie) or the upper part of
the spod ic horizon below 7 inches from the mineral su rface .
Poorly Drained
Water is removed so slowly thilt the soil is satura ted periodically at or neM the surface du ri ng the
growing senson or remil ins wet for long periods sufficien t to create prolonged annerobic conditions.
The soil is not continuously saturated in layers direct ly below plow depth. Poor drainage results
from a high water table. a slowly pervious layer wit hin the profi le, seepage, nearly continuous rain fall, or a combination of thes<.:. Poorly drained soils usually have a gleyed layer wit hin 20 inches
and low chroma mott les with in 7 inches of the mineral surface o r have dra inage mottles in the Ehorizon (a lbie) or the upper part of the spud ic horizon within 7 inches of the m ineral soil surface.
Very Poorly Drained
W,lter is removed from the soil so ~towty thilt free water remains at or o n the surface during most
of the growing season. Anaerob ic cond itions persist for most of the season. Very poorly drained soils
<Ire com monly found in level areas or depress ions that Me frequently inu ndated . Yet when rainfall
is high and nearly continuous, they can develop on moderate to high slopes. Very poorly drained
soils include organic soils, mineral soils with an organic su r f~ce byer usua lly 8 to 16 inches thick
(histie epipedon), mineral soils wit h an organic layer 4 to 8 inches th ick on top of a gleyed subsoil,
tidal milrsh soils, or floodpla in (alluv ial) soils with <I d<lrk-co lo red (u mbrie) min eral surface layer.
SOURCES, Adapted hom USDA 1951 , NTCHS 1991, ond Tiner 1991
49
some organic content in the upper 32 inches
o f the soil profile.
Typical profiles of organic and mineral
soils are depicted in Figure 4.2.
O rg a nic Soils
Organic soils form because long periods of
saturation during the growing season starves
the soil of oxygen and slows decomposition of
bulk organic materials such as leaves, stems and
roots. Gradually, this material accumulates as
peat or muck. Organic soils typically form in
low, Oat landscapes or depressions where peat
or muck deposits can accumulate. Most organic
soils are characterized as poorly drained or very
poorly drained soils. Deposits of peat or muck
may range from about 16 inches to more than
30 feet deep (7).
Organic soils are commonly called peats
and mucks. They are distinguished by the
amount of identifiable plant material. Mu ck s
are soils in which the plant material is decomPOSL-ci beyond recognition (Saprists: Figure 4.2
and Plate 24 in Chapter 3) and peats are soils
which have recognizable decomposed plant
fibers (Fibrists: Plate 25 in Chapter 3) . Organic
soils intermediate between these two conditions arc referred to as mucky peats (hemists).
Minera l Soils
Mi neral soils have less organic material
and are composed largely of sand, silt and!
or clay. Even though some mineral soils may
have thick organic surface layers due to heavy
seasonal rain fall or a high water table, they
stil l are composed largely of sand, silt and!
or clay.
The two most widely recognized features
of wet mineral soils are gleying and mottling.
Cleyed soils are predominantly neutral gray
in color and occasionally greenish or bluish
gray (Plate 26 in Chapter 3). These distinctive
colors result from a process known as gleization, where prolonged saturation of mineral
soil converts iron from its insoluble, oxidized
(ferric) form to its water soluble, reduced (ferrous) state. Water so luble reduced compound s may be completely removed from the
soil through water movement, resulting in
gleying. This process imparts a dull, grayish
color to the soil.
Soils gleyed to the surface layer (topsoil) or
the upper portion of the subsoil are wetland
soils. Some non-wetland soils have gray layers (E-horizons) that may be mistaken for
gleying. For example, Spodosols are a type of
soil that has gray layers due to leaching by
Figure 4 .1
Somewhat Poorly
Drained Soils
As the
MI••ral Soli,
Thick, Dark,
Grey Subsoils
Or,a.lc Soil,
(HI,tolOls)
surface of
the lan d
drops c lo ser
to the water
table, soils
become
more p oorl y
dra ined.
Source: WTI,
M. Hill & T. Pizer.
Adopted from
Wonggen et 01.
1976.
50
Figure 4 .2
Diagrams
of typical
pro files for
on organic
soil (left) ,
a h ydri c
mineral soil
(center) and
a hydri c
sp odosol
(right) .
De p th s are
In inc hes.
Soulce: WTI,
It Pierce &
C. Newling.
a
Organic
Soil
a
Hydric Mineral
Soil
l~m
'"<D
.c
u
c:
c:
Hydric
Spodosol
a
Sandy Loam
Black 10 YR 2/1
Black
6
Fin. Sand
6
10 YR 2/1
12
10YR7/1
12
.c
li
<D
-0
18
.
o.ganlc
18
Minerai
24
24
orga nic acids; however, these soils usua ll y
have brighter brownish or reddish layers be[ow the gray ["yer and on that basis can be
distinguished from wetland soils.
Minera l soils that are alternately saturated
and unsaturated during the year usually
show mottling in the part of the soil where
the waler table fluctuates seasonally. Mottles
are spots or blotches of different colors or
shades of colors interspersed with the dominant "matrix" color (Plate 27 in Chapter 3).
The abundance, size and color of the mottles
usually reflect the duration of the saturation
period and indicate whether the soil is a wetland soiL
Gleyed soils develop when anaerobic soil
conditions result in pronounced chemical reduction of iron, manganese and other clements, thereby producing gray soil colors.
Besides lacking oxygen, the soils must have
enough organic matter to feed the bacteria
an d the temperature must be at or above 41"
F. for them to be active. If these conditions do
not exist, gleization w ill not proceed and
mottles will not form, even though the soil
may be saturated for prolonged periods. Consequently, soils saturated on ly during the
winter do not develop gleyed colors (Plates
8 and 28 in Chapter 3). Also, soils that are not
wet long enough during the growing season
to have a significant impact on soil formation
and plant growth <IrC not hydric (24).
Recognizing Wetland
Soils in the Field
Due to their wetness during the growing
season, wetland soils usually develop specific
physical proper ties Ihat can be readily observed in the field (Table 4.3). The easiest
properties to describe are soil texture and
color. To iden ti fy wetland mineral soils, first
find the "B horizon" which immediately underlies the d a rk surface or "A horizon." The
horizon to be examined usually will extend
from a depth of aboul six inches to approximately 1.5 feet fo r nonsandy mineral soils.
Obser ve the texture and color of the soil to
determine if it is a wetland soil.
Texture Characteristics
Organic wetland soils can be recognized by
their texture and color. For example, mucks
feci greasy a nd, when rubbed until they are
dry, leave dea n skin stained but with no other
residue. In contrast, the plant remains in peats
show very little decomposition and most of
the fragments of the original plant material
are recogn izable. When peaty material is
rubbed between the fingers, most plant fibers
wi ll remain identifiable as such, leaving dean
skin relatively unstained.
Mineral soils arc described by the relative
amounts o f sand, sill and clay in the soil
51
sample. Rubbing a soil sa mple between your
fingertips is a simple field test. Sand particles
will feel gritty. Silt feels slippery when wet,
but not sticky. Oay is very sticky and can be
shaped into a cohesive ribbon. The amounts
of sand, silt and clay in a soil sample are described by standard ized names, such as
"sandy loam" or "silty clay." With practice, a
soil's texture can be discernible in the field.
Colar Characteristics
Soil colors reveal much about a soil's wetness during the period of its formation. When
combined with field evidence that saturation
is still occurring, soil colors are good indicators of whether the soil is hydric. The color
of a soil sample can be determined with a
Munsell Soil Color Chart which contains representative paint chips of soil colors (Plate 29
in Chapter 3). Each Munsell soil color is assigned a unique code which indicates three
aspects of color: hue, value and chroma .
Hu e indicates the relation to the main spectra l colors - red, yellow, green, blue or
purple - or various mixtures of these principal colors. Valu e indicates the amount of
light reflected off the soil. Va lues range from
black to white with shades of gray in between. Chroma indicates the color's strength
or purity. Chroma can be likened to changing
the color of paint by adding more and more
of the same color pigment. Each hue is represented by a series of color chips on its own
page. The color chips arc further subdivided
- value along the left side and chroma along
the bottom of the page.
Plate 29 in Chapter 3 shows the color chart
for gley and the chart for hue 10YR (pronounced "10-Y-R" or "10 yellow-red") . These
charts show some of the colors commonly
encountered in Wisconsin soils, including
many of the wetland mineral soils. The color
chart for gley represents soils that generally
developed under hydric conditions. On the
1OYR chart, only the two columns on the left
represent soil colors likely to predominate in
soils that developed under hydric conditions.
The rest are colors that predom i nate in
nonhydric soils. Theoretically, each soil color
represents a unique combination of hues, values and chromas. But the number of combi-
nations commonly found in the soil environmen t are limited and so the Munsell Soil
Color Charts contain a limited number of
combinations . To determine the color of the
soil matrix or of a mattie, compare a soil
sample with the individual color chips.
Many older soil surveys used English
names for colors rather than alphanumeric
codes. These names are included on the facing page in the Munsell Soil Color Charts (11).
Color Characteri stics of Organ ic Soil s
Mucks are generally black and peats range
from black to brown to reddish brown to
brownish yellow. However, it is not critical to
differentiate peats from mucks since both are
wetland soils. In addition, organic soils often
give off the odor of rotten eggs, indicating the
presence o f hydrogen sulfide which almost
always results from long-term inundation or
nearly continuous saturation.
Table 4 3
Wisconsin We tland Soils
at a glance
All undrained organic soils in
Wisconsin are weiland soils.
For non-sandy, and drained,
mineral soils:
• A peat o r muck surface layer
8 to 16 inches thick; o r
• Dominant colors in the minerai soil matrix of chroma of 2
o r less if there a re mott les
present; o r
• Dominant colors in the m ine rai soil matrix of chroma of 1
o r less if there are no mottles
presen t.
For sandy soils:
• Sandy sur face layer with
much organic matter; or
• Vertical o r horizontal streaks of
organic matter; or
• Near surface o rganic pan. or
• Known high water table.
52
Color Characteris ti cs of Mineral So il s
The wettest mineral soi ls typically have
chemiC<l!ly reduced matrices below the surface horizon and arc neutral gray in color
(gleyed soils). Sometimes the color may be
green ish-gray or bluish-gray. Undrained mineral soils that are predominantly grayish (Le.
chroma 2 or less) with brown, yellow or reddish mottles within 18 inches of the surface
generally qualify as wetland soils. In addition,
un mottled mineral so il s with a grayish
(gleyed) or matrix ch roma 1 or less, layered
with in 18 inches of the mineral soil surface
generally are considered wetland soils. How-
ever, beware of gray-colored E-horizons. Refer to the Spodosols discussion under
"Problematic Soils" below.
Mineral soils that are rarely saturated arc
usually bright-colored (i.c .. chroma > 2) and
are not mo ttled. In some wetland soils,
mottles may not be visible due to masking by
high concentrations of organic matter. The
presence of many concretions, or hard nodules, of iron oxide and/or manganese oxide
near tbe surface can be another indicator of
hyd ric soil conditions.
Problematic Soils
The previous discussion applies to most
situations where wetland soils exist. There arc
exceptions to the general rules, however. In
problema tic situations, make your determination based on evidence of current wetland
hydrology, predominance of wetland vegetation and the presence of chemically reducing
conditions (mottles or gleying) rather than depending on the more standard field indicators
that may be obscured or nonexistent (24, 28,
30). The associated plant community often
will indicate that closer review of the site's
hydrOlogy is warranted. Listed below arc
some soils that are difficult to classify. Consult the Natural Resources Conservation Service for morc informatiOl' on these soils.
Parent material origin. Certain reddish and
other brighter-<:olored (high chroma) soils, such
as those found in the Superior Clay Plain, including Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas and Iron
counties, may be hydric even though their color
suggests otherwise. Conversely, certain gray- or
green-mlored soils, such as some shale-based
soils from L1fayette County, are nonhydric even
though their color may appear on a gley page
in the Munsell Soil Color Book. In both cases,
the parent materials are of a chemical composition which does not respond to long periods
of oxidizing or reducing conditions with typical color patterns.
Sandy soils, such as those found in Monroe, Adams and Portage counties, often pose
the greatest problem in identifying hydric
properties. Few if any of the diagnostic characteristics listed in the preceding text may
appear. Certain hydric sandy soils have thick,
dark, mineral surface layers with high organic
matter content (up to 10 or more inches thick),
but the underlying subsoil layer (within 18
inches of the surface) has a matrix chroma
greater than 2. Some hydric sand soils show
evidence of vertical streaking by organic matter below the surface layer, while others may
have a blotchy colored subsoil due to organic
coatings around some of the sandy grains.
These organic materials leave a dark-colored
stain on clean skin when rubbed gently on the
palm of the hand. Once again, the associated
plant community often will indicate that the
site's hydrology needs closer review. Recent
advances are helping in recognizing hydric
conditions in sandy soils, but a soil scientist
may be required in some situations.
Entisols are recently deposited floodplain
(alluvial) soils that are so young, from the
point of view of soil development, that they
display little or no evidence of soil horizon
formation. They include sandy soils of riverine bars and islands and finer-textured alluv ial so ils. Recently deposited sandy soils,
such as sand bars along rivers, will not possess any of the typical Wisconsin wetland soil
cha racteristics. They can be recognized by
their landscape position and hydrologic characteristics. Some sandy hydric Entisols (> 95
percent sand in the upper 20 inches) may be
recognized by a subsoil matrix with a hue
between 10YR and 10Y and a chroma of 3 or
less with distinct or prominent high chroma
mottles (7, 28).
Spodosols, found in the northern third of
Wisconsin, are associated with Wisconsin's
evergreen forests. All Spodosols, whether
53
hydric or nonhyd ric, have a characteristic
gray E-horizon (elluvial layer) overlying a
diagnostic spodic horizon of accumulated
organic maUer, iron and aluminum (Plate 30).
The gray layer forms not because of wetness,
but through a process called podzolization.
Organic acids from the breakdown of evergreen leaves move down through the so il
with rainfall cleaning the sa nd grains in one
layer (the E-horizon or albic horizon) then
coating sand grains with organic matter, iron
and aluminum in the next layer (the spodic
horizon). This process commonly occurs under pines, spruces, hemlocks and tamaracks.
Characteristics commonly observed in wet,
sandy Spodosols include: 1) a thick, dilfk
surface horizon (a cemented spodic horizon
in some); 2) high chroma mottles or a polychromatic matrix in the E-horizon or in the
upper part of the s podic horizon; 3) a streaked
or blotchy colored E-horizon with organic
coatings around sand g rains that leave a dark
stain on clean skin when rubbed in the
palm of the hand; and 4) gray colors predominating the hori zon underlying the spodic
horizon.
Mollisols, found in the southern third of
Wisconsin, are dark colored, organic- and
base-rich mineral soils. Natural vegetation is
mainly tall and short grass prairies . These
soils (both hydric and nonhydric) typically
have deep, dark topsoil layers (mollic
epipedons) with low c hroma matrix colors to
considerable depths. They are rich in organic
mailer due largely to the type of vegetation
under which they developed (deep root systems of grasses) and reworking of the soil and
organic matter by ea rthworms, ants, moles
and rodents. The low chroma colors of
mollisols arc not CiluSed by prolonged saturation, so be ca reful when interpreting these
soils. Generally s petlking, near-surface mottling or a near-surface gleyed horizon must be
present before these soils can be considered
hydric (27, 28).
Newly created wetlands may be fo rmed
by beaver impoundments or by human activities that inundate or saturate a previous ly
non hydric soil for a sufficient frequency and
duration during the growing season so tha t
the soil meets the hydric soil definition (12).
In evaluating such sites, consider the perma-
ne nce of the activity. For example, a beaver
may dam a road culvert and flood nonhydric
soils. If someone removes the dam in order to
keep beaver out of the area, the action is temporary and the area should not be considered
a wetland. If the action endures, and wetland
vegetation establis hes itself while u pland
plants a re dying or dead, then the area shou ld
be considered to have wet conditions sufficient to meet the wetland soil criteria. It meets
the definition of being flooded, ponded or
saturated long enough during the growing
season to develop anaerobic conditions in the
upper part of the soi ls (12, 27).
Drained s oils . It is not a simple task to
differentiate between effectively drained soils
with hydric characteristics and undrained
hydric soils. Look for the presence of ditches,
tile drai ni ng, dikes or levees, deeply cut
streams and upslope dams. If the soils have
drained to the point that they are not capable
of supporting wetland vegetation, then they
are drained hydr ic soils and do not satisfy the
wetland soils component. On the other hand,
some areas can be made to look like nonwetlands simply by plowing. In farmed areas,
look for wetland p lants along the edges or
between rows of p lowed or cropped fields.
The presence of wetland p lants is a good indicator that the soils are not effectively
drained and the soi ls are still wetland soils.
Use of Soil Surveys
When making a wetland determination,
first locate the area of concern on a soil survey map and identify the soil map units.
Check the soil series description to determine
w hether the soil series is classified as somew hat poorly to very poorly drained. Examine
the soil in the field and compare its morphology with the corresponding soi l description
in the soil survey report. If the soil's characteristics match those described for hydr ic soil,
and the soil has not been effectively drained,
then the hydric soil criteria are met. In the
absence of site-specific information from soil
lists, hydric soils can be recognized by field
indicators alone (7). Conclusions based on
actual on-site field evidence supersede those
based only on interpre tations of soil survey
mapping.
54
CHAPTER
5
Finding the Wetland Boundary
Ihydrology
you mllst consider the soil, plants and
of a site. For federal regula-
n general, in delineating wetlands,
tory purposes, at the time of this printing the 1987 Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual (6) should be
IIsed to delineate wetlands. For state and
local regulatory purposes, the statutory
definition of wetlands in S. 23.32(1)
Wisconsin Statutes which states that
"wetland memlS {Ill area where water is
at, near or above the lmld surface /ol1g
enough to be capable of 5upportillg
aquatic or hydrophytic vegetation and
which has soils indicative of wet conditions" should be used . The method for
delineating wetlands IInder the state
definition closely follows the 1989 Federal MalHwl for identifying and Delineating Jurisdictional Wetlands (7). Til
most situations, the boundary will be the
same for both federal and state approaches. Occasionally, the site may Iwt
meet the federal definition of wetlands,
but it would meet Wisconsin's statutory
definition of wetlands. This may ocwr
when the site contains "somewhat
poorly drained" soils which are capable
of supporting wetland plmlts and in
situations where the hydrology has been
altered but the site is still capable of supporting wetland plants. It may be necessary to consult al1 expert to delineate
the boundary of these wetlands .
Process
The process of finding the boundary between non-wetland areas and wetlands is
known as wetland delineation. As you are
le(lrning the process of wetland delineation,
it is very useful to accompany an experienced
delineator in the field. Wetland delineation is
divided into three phases: preparation, field
work and report writing. This chapter discusses preparation and field work. Chapter 6
describes how the results of the first two steps
can be formed into a logical report.
Before you begin delineating wetlands,
keep in mind two cautions. First, it is important to know when to call in help from the
DNR or other recognized experts. Second,
wetland boundaries can change with time,
For example, a stream can change course,
flooding new areas and leaving others high
and dry. Human activity also can change
wetland boundaries. For example, without
proper maintenance, areas drained decades
ago with either ditches or tiles can revert to
wet conditions. Activities on adjoining pieces
of property can also influence the limit of
wetlands. Altered hydrology often accompanies improperly culverted road construction
where new or larger wetlands may form on
the upslope side of a road crossing a drainage feature on the landscape. Downslope,
former wetlands m(lY dry up because they no
lon ger receive (IS much runoff or the frequency of waterflow has greatly decreased.
Delinea tions conducted a number of years
prior to any project approval should be
checked for continued accuracy.
Preparation
Documents to use when preparing to conduct an accurate wetland delineation include
a copy of the county soil survey, the county
list of hydric soil mapping units (both of
which can be obtained from the county NRCS
office), (I v(lTiety of maps and aerial photogwphs (including the Wisconsin Wetland Inventory maps), and any reports that describe
the plant communities, soils and/or hydrologic conditions of the study area.
Using Maps
The first step in a delineation is locating the
area of interest on a map. Begin with a county
road map or plat book. After locating the
property, turn to the Index To Map Sheets at
the beginning of the map section in the appropriate county soil survey. The Index map
will show major roads, towns and water fea-
55
Figure 5.1
Typical Index to Map Sheets (left) , map
sheet (center) and soil profile description from the Dane County Soil Survey.
~~~
tures su ch as streams and lakes. Superimposed on this map will be a g rid system w it h
numerous, equ al-sized, numbered rectangles
(Fig ure 5.1). These represent the detailed soil
maps that follow. Locate the rectangle that
contains the study area and note the map
number. Open to the map with the corresponding number.
The indi vidual soi l maps are aerial photographs ,mllotated with the names of water
bodies, towns and road numbers. Also shown
are a network of irregularly shaped cells representing the boundaries of different soil map
units. Each cell contains a unit symbol, either
a letter (e.g ., Ho) or a number (Figure 5.1).
Rea li ze that the aerial photographs may
have been ta ken many years ea rlier and fea tures on the landscape may have Changed.
(The yea r when the aerial photographs were
taken usually is p rinted on the edge o f the
map where it joins the spine of the book.) The
soil map shows th e sect ion number in the
center of each section and includes section
corners to help you loca te parcels based on
legal descriptions.
On a copy of the soil map, outline the
boundary of the stud y area. On a separate
piece o f paper note a ll of the different soil
map unit symbols within the study area and
immediately s urrounding it. Turn back to the
original locator map (Fi gure 5.1) . On the
reverse side of that map shou ld be listed all
of the map unit symbols found in the county
and a correspo nding name (e.g ., HoHoughton Muck). Record the map unit names
next to the symbols.
Houghton Series
The Houghton series consists of deep,
very poorly drained, nearly level soils
on low benches and bottoms in
stream volleys.
Compare the map unit names with the list
of hydric soils provided by the county N RCS
office. Highlight <my that are li sled as hydric
or that contain hydric inclusions. Hydric inclusions are Sillall areas of hydric soil that are
not mapped but are known to exist within the
boundaries of mapped soil units.
In the text of the county soil survey, you
will find a written description of each of the
soil map units. The first sentence of each description will tell you the drainage class of the
soi l. Soils with drainage classes called "somewhat p<X)r1y", "poorly" or "very poorly" have
a good chance of being wetland soils. The
written text usually contains a description of
the typica l p rofile for each soil (Figure 5.1).
Read these descriptions and be prepared to
56
compare them w ith the soils that you actually
observe w hen you go to the study area .
Obtain the U.s. Geologica! Service (USGS)
7.5 Quadrangle map (Pla te 31 in C hap ter 3),
or a larger scale topographic map, if available,
for the study area . Note any topogra phic low
features, the presence of water bodies and any
wetland symbols located in the stu dy area.
Obtain a Wisconsin Wetland Inventory
(WW I) m a p for the study area (Figure 5.2).
Maps are based on the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) by county, township and range.
Wetlands two acres in size or larger (five acres
in size or larger on older maps) arc delineated
and classified. Those less than two acres are
shown as a point symbol (.::,L). TIle classification
code for each wetland mn be interpreted from
the legend at the side of the map . For more
detailed infomlation on the Wisconsin Wetland
Inventory, please see DNR publications, "User's
Guide to the WWI" (WZ 022-92) and "Classification Guide to WWI" (WZ 023-92).
WW I maps are a useful tool to both zoning officials and other regulators evaluating
projects and for delineators making an initial
assessment of the potential presence of wetlands. They can be ver y valuable in comparing several corridors or locations for a project
and in developing any type of master or regional plan.
each color signature. True color (Plate 33 in
Chap ter 3) and black a nd whi te photographs
may also be helpfu l in loca ting stand ing water and s urface-sa tu rated ground areas with
wa ter-stressed agricu ltural CTOpS (places
w here crops ha ve not survived or are stun ted
in grow th d ue to waterlogging), dra inage features and past d istu rbances .
CAUTION: When using aerial photograph s,
be sure to examine precedent precipitation
patterns. Check monthly precipitation data for
the p receding 12 months and daily precipitation for th e previous 60 days from the date of
the photograph to detemline if rain fall approximated the long-teon average conditions
for the area. Also con sider whether heavy
precipitation had occurred shortly before the
ph otograph was taken or whether the study
area was in the mid st of a long drou ght.
Daily, month ly and long-term average precip itation data can be obtained from a variety of sources (s ee Chapter 7). Further, the
fo li age of fore s ted areas show n on aerial
ph otographs taken during the growing seas on may mas k wetland boundar ies. Therefore, care should be taken w he n interpreting
the extent of wetlands on su ch aerial photographs.
Selecting a Bose Map
CA UTIO N : Fo r reg ul a tory purpos es, the
w etla nd boun daries on e xis ting WWI maps
s hould b e used only as a guide due to their
small scale (1"=2000'). If a n area is not indicated on the approp ri ate WWI map as w etla nd s yo u s houl d no t conclud e that no
w etla nds are p resent. In all cases, actual cond itions on the gro und are the most accurate
indication of the presence of wetlands. Fin al
wetland d e termi n ation s hould a lw a ys b e
b ased on a s ite visit.
Using Aerial Photographs
Aerial photographs of the study a rea, if
available, also can provide useful information . False color infrared photographs (Plate
32 in Chapter 3) may indicilte wetness characteristics; however, they should only be interpreted by an experienced person. They
should always be verified on the ground for
The final step in preparing for a delineation is selecting a topographic map or aerial
p hotograph to use as your base map . You
may want to establish a uniform type and/
or scale of map that will be used for delineations . Large scale aeriill photography or topographic maps can be used during the
delineation to record boundaries and to locate
data collection points. If you decide to use a
transect approach (described later in this
chapter), record the location of your baseline
and the starting points of your transects on
the base map.
Field Investigation
A field evaluation should be separated into
two parts. First, determine if both upland and
wetland exist on the property. If they do, then
the second step is finding and delineating the
57
rf:-:?~~~iliiRi~T--~l figure 5.2
Class __~
Typical WWI
map and
legend.
,'" ;;iiii.' .I soufce:
~~.,.!: I Ctassification
........ H~ro1ogic MDdifier
El KS
Subclass ""'"
Guide 10 Ihe
' -- Special Modif.,
WWL
ClaSS and subclass
A
Aquatic bed
1 Su bmergent
2 Floating
3
Rooted floa ting
4
Free float ing
M Mos~
E
Emergent/wet meadow
1
S
I'ersi~tent
2
Nnrrow-leaved persistent
3
Broad-leaved persistent
4 Nonpersistent
5
Narrow-leaved nonpersistent
6
Broad-leaved no n persistent
Scrub/shrub
I Decid uous
2
Needle-leaved deciduous
3
I:jroad - le~ved d eciduous
4 Everg reen
5
Needle-leaved everg n..'Cn
6
Uroad - le~ved evergreen
7
De~d
8
Needlc-teilv ...>d
Broad-leaved
Forested
1 Deciduous
2
Needle-leaved deciduous
3
Broad-leaved deciduous
5 Needle-leaved evergreen
7 Dead
8 Need le-leaved
Flats / unvegetated wet soil
o Subclass unknown
1 Cobble / gravel
2 SJ nd
3 Mud
4 Organic
5 Vegetated pioneer
Open WJter
o Subclass unknown
1 Cobble/gravel
2 5.1nd
3 Mud
4 Organic
9
T
F
W
WINGRA
Hydrot ogic modifier
L
Stilnding water, LJ ke
R
Flowing water, River
H 5tnnding water; P~ l ustrine
K Wet soil, Palustrine
Special modifiHs
a
Aba ndoned crop land
c
Man -made cranberry bog
e
Exposed flats complex
f
Fa rmed in dry years
g
Grazed
j
Central sands complex
m
Floa ting vegeta ted mats
s
Ridge a nd swale co mplex
v
Vegetat ion recently removed
w
Floodplain complex
x
Excava ted
Red day complex
Map symbols
u
Upland surrou nded by wetland
- - Wetland - upland boundary
- - - Wetland - d l'l'p wa ter lake
.. - Level d itc h
._ ._. St ream or d rainage ditch
-==-Road
............. Railroad
" ~IIIII' Dike, levl'l', a ba nd oned ra ilroad
~ Same classification on both sides of linear feature
lWetland smaller than 2 acres
8; I)nmmed pond smnller tha n 2 acres
El Excav,1ted pond sm~ ller than 2 acres
'-------/ Mn n-m~de da m
()\/ Spring w ithi n il wetla nd
/VVVV 1\c,1ver da m
. - Mu nicipal boundaries
_
Coun ty bound;ny
Township bounda ry
A re~ no longer wdl~ nd, field ver ified
58
boundary behveen upland and wetland. If the
entire study area is either wetland or upland ,
there is no need to "delineate", although the
collection of data to support your conclusion
may be necessary and is, therefore, recommended.
During a site visit, the following equipment and materials will be needed:
• Ttle spade, shovel, soil auger and/or soil
probe (Figure 5.3)
• Surveyors flagging tape, pin flags and/
or wooden stakes
• Compass
• Munsell soil color chart book
• County soil survey
• National or Region 3 List of Plants that
Occur in Wetlands
Figure 5.3
Soil
sampling
implements .
So urce: Wl I,
I? Pierce.
•
•
•
•
•
Plant identification guides
Base map
Aerial photographs
Wisconsin Wetland Inventory map
Data forms (a blank form is provided at
the end of this Guide)
Rec onnaissance Survey
When star ting a field evaluation, spend as
much time as needed meandering though the
study area observing the vegetation and soil
characteristics and formulating an idea of
how hydrology is acting on the site.
Inspect The Lowest, Wettest Position On
Th e Landscape
• Are there signs of surface flooding or
ponding or near surface saturation?
• Is the ground sloping such that it is impossible for wa ter to collect on the surface?
• Are there groundwater seepages or
springs present?
• Are you in a depression or other drainage feature where water logically would
move. through or collect?
• Is the surround ing landscape elevated
and of sufficient area that precipitation
infiltrating the soil will provide a flow
of groundwater to the place where you
are s tanding?
• Are you standing on a broad, flat expanse where runoff is unlikely?
Note Human-Induced Alterati on s
• Is there any indication that the hydrology has been altered?
• Are drainage ditches present?
• Are there drain tiles ins talled in the
field?
• Is the river or stream separated from the
study area by a levee?
• Has the stream been channelized ?
If the answer is "YES" to any of the questions, then surface water may no longer regularly flood an area and/or groundwater may
be at a depth greater than in the past. In either case, the surrounding soils may have
his toric hydric colors, but surface and/or
groundwater may no longer support hydrophytic vegetation .
Identify The Plants Present
• Are there species present commonly associated with wetlands (FACW, FAC or
OBL) or uplands (FACU or UPL)?
• Do some layers of the vegetation (e.g.,
tree or shrub layers) have FACW or OBL
species predominating while others (e.g.
5.:1pling and herb layers) have FACU and
UPL predominating?
• Has the vegetation of the site been substantially altered in the recent past (such
as by logging), or is the control of plant
growth regulated by humans, such as
agriculhlr<ll iands or those with frequent
applications of herbicides?
59
Examine The Soils
ing and experience than can be presented in
When first inspecting a site, use a tile
this gUide. An experienced delineator will
spade to dig a pit about 20 inches deep and 6
need to work on the site. In any case, retain
or 8 inches wide. Try to remove a slice of the
the data you have collected to help explain
intact. soil profile from the side of the pit to
the conditions you encountered during your
examme.
site visit.
• Is the soil a peat or a muck or does it
Finding the Outer Wetland Boundary
have a thick (8 to 16 inches) su r face
When you've finished at the lowest posilayer of peat or muck?
tion on the landscape, walk upslope and find
• If it is a mineral soiL does the predomithe highest, driest position at the other end of
nant color of the layer immediately bethe same gradient. Again, look for evidence
10\'" the dark surface layer (or in the
that water wets the surface or near-surface
range of 9 to 18 inches below the sursoils. Consider all the same factors you evalu+
face) have a low chroma (2 or less) when
ated at the lowest site. Examine the vegetacompared with the appropriate Munsell
tion. Are the plants typical of upland areas
soil color chart?
(FACU or UPU or basically the same as at the
• Are there spots of high chroma, contrasting colors (mot- Hydrophyllc Wettand
Hydric
Vegetation
Hydrology
Conclu sion
Soils
tles)?
• What is the texture of the soil?
Yes
Yes
Yes
Wetland
• Is it very sandy and therefore
No
No
No
Non-wetland
likely to pass water through
Yes
No
No
Non-wetland
quickly, or is it fine-grained
Yes
Yes
Disturbed or Problem
No
(silty or clayey) and likely to
Yes
Disturbed or Problem
No
Yes
pond water or pass it through
No
Yes
No
Disturbed or Problem
very slowly?
You will want to leave the pit
Yes
Problem
Yes
No
open for a while to see if groundwater enters for evidence of hydrology; howlowest sites? Examine the soils. Is there any
ever, always fill in the test pits when you are
peat or muck layer? If a mineral soil, is the
finished to prevent accidents.
predominant color of the soil a high chroma
Determine How the Site Meets the Wetland
(higher than 2) when compared with the ap'
propriate Munsell soil color chart? Ask yourParameters for Plants, Soils, Hydrology
self the same questions as at the lowest,
• Are more than 50 percent of the domiweltest site and decide if the location is a
nant plant species rated as FAC, FACW
wetland.
and/or OBU
If you can understand what is happening
• Do the soils have hyd ric characteristics
at the extremes of the wetland/non-wetland
(see Chapter 4)7
gradient, then you should be able to deter• Do you have di rect evidence, or does
mine with greater ease the condition of the
your judgment convince you, that the
landscape in behvecn. The wetland boundary
sources and movement of water on the
is usually found in this in-between area.
site would be above or near the surface
III partiC!llar, YOIl should fOr/II all idea of the
long enough during the growing season
SOllrce of hydrology - floodillg, pDllding, grolll/dto affect the plants growing on the site?
waler or a combillatioll of IIlese.
Based on your answers, use Table 5. ] to
• If the area flood s or ponds water, does
determine if the sample plot is a wetland.
If you cannot reach a clear decision, then
it happen in most years or only rarely
(less than half the years over the long
the area may have been altered by direct or
term)?
indirect human activity or may qualify as a
• Does the water remain on the site long
"problem" wetland. Delineation in such circumstances requires more professional train·
enough during the growing season to
Table 5.1
Weiland
decision
matri x.
Source: WTI..
R. Pierce.
60
stress the plants such that most of them
are FACW or OSL, and UPL perennials
are excluded? Or does it runoff rapidly
and the plant community is dominated
by FACU and UPL plants?
• If there is no indication that the area
floods or that water stands on the surface for long periods, does the groundwater rise close enough to the surface
during the growing season such that the
plant community is dominated by
FACW or OI3L plants and UPL perennials are excluded?
If the dominant plants on the site are primarilv FACU and / or UPL then probably
grou~dwater seldom if ever rises closer
than 18 inches from the s urface during the
growing season. The most difficult hydrologic aspect to understand is the ncar-surface groundw<lter. The county soil survey
has a table which lists how close to the surface the groundwater should be in each soil
series (Figure 5.4). It lists the months when
the water table is expected to be closest to
the surface. These di'lti'l are also listed in
Hydric Soils of the United States (12). A
Figure 5.4
Typical soil
surve y table
containing
groundwater data.
Depth to--S"il series and mal' I ymbol!
Sea"onal
hi!(h
wal".
labl ..
Houghton:
Huntsville:
K.gon .... :
Ki~kapoo:
Kidder:
K,El
F,,,
'"'
,. ------------ .. ---, ",
' .A, -----------1 >"
••• ------------ >"
..
"-.
3-'
••A
Kc! _________ . __ .
Kd8. KdCl KdOl
~,Ol
>0
~-10
5-10
Made land: ~.
Too varia ble \0 be raled.
Ma)'!h: Mb
Too variable to be rated .
Manhan:
Mdlenry:
"-.
"-.
Me • ••• _ ••• __ •• _____ •
5- 10
I
county soil conservationist can help YOll
determine the reliability of the water table
estimates in your area.
Community Characlerization
It is now lime to find and mark the wetland boundary. If the property is relatively
small. say less than five acres, then orienting
yourself should not be a problem. If the property is large--especially if it is all wooded, or
the vegetation is very thick and your line of
sight is limited- you may want to use linear
transects to ensure that you do not miss any
isolated wetlands. The transect approach
helps orient you within the study area and
make it easier to locate boundaries on a
s ketch map. (This approach is discussed later
in this chapter.)
If you are sampling a smaller property
where tranSL'Cts arc unnecessary, proceed to
a point that you arc certain is in the wetland.
The point should be at least 30 feet from any
pOSSible wetland/upland boundary. Make
this the center point of your sample plot,
marking it with a piece of surveyor's flagging
or a pin nag. Label the flag with a unique
identifier such as "Data 1 - Wet". Estimate a
3O-ft radius circle around this center. Note: A
30-ft. radius circle is just a guide. If the wetland is smaller than 60 ft. diameter or is an
odd shape, alter the sample plot size to fit the
conditions .
Collecting Data
Header Information
Record the basic information (location information, owner/ applicant and delineator)
at the top of a data form such as the one
found in Appendix A. Determine if the hydrology and/or vegetation has been temporarily altered. If it has, then "Normal
Circumstances" do not ex ist. Determine if the
site has been substantively disturbed by recent activities or if the conditions are characteristic of a known "Problem Area" (e.g. red
parent material soils). If you check "NO" for
Normal Circumstances or "YES" for significantly Disturbed and / or Problem Area then the
delineator should have additional training and
experience beyond the scope of this guide.
61
Vegetat io n
List the dominant species of plants found
in each stratum under the section labeled
"Vegetation" (sec Chapter 3). Once you h<lve
listed <Ill of the dominants, find the indic<ltor
status of each in the Nntiollal List of Plllllt Species that OCCI/r ill Wetlallds for Regioll 3 and list
it on the data form. Finally, calculate the percentage of all dominants that arc FAC, FACW
and/or OBL and record it on the form.
H ydro logy
Look for signs of surface hydrology (sec
Chapter 2). Use the list of indictltors on the
d<lt<l sheet under the section entitled "Hydrology" as tl reminder. Dig <In observation pit at
least 20 inches deep.
• Is there water in the hole? At what
depth?
• Does the soil seem satumtcd? At what
depth?
If you see water entering thc sides of the
hole, you may have reached the W<lter table.
Use C<lution however: groundwater typically
moves horizontally more rapidly than vertically. If a na rrow zone of soil is saturated from
recent rainfall, water may pour into the hole
from the sides, even though you have not
rC<lched the w<lter table. This often occurs
where two SQil horizons meet or along root
chmmels. As yOll dig the pit, always inspect
the soil to see if it is s<lturated. If the entire
soil profile below the point where W<lter enters the hole appears to be s<lturated, then you
prob<lbly re<lchcd the water t<lblc. If you dig
through a n;'lrrow zone that is saturated into
a layer that is not saturated, then you prob<lbly are seeing the results of a rccent precipit<ltion. Record your observation on the data
form under the heading "Hydrology".
Soil s
Remove a slice of the vertical profile from
the side of the soil pit. Determine the thickness of each layer, its texture, the color of the
ma trix and the presence of any mottles (see
Chapter 4). Record your observations in the
section of the d<lla form labeled "Soils." Unless you are a professional soil scientist, you
should not name the horiLons since they vary
from one soil order to another. Refer to the
soil map and the sheet of soil map units that
you compiled during the preparation for the
deline<ltion . Find the point on the soil map
correspond in g to your location on the
ground. Identify the soil map unit and refer
to the soil series description in the front of the
soil survey.
• Does the soil profile you have examined
m<ltch that described in the soil survey
for the mapped series?
If it does, then record the name of the soil
map unit and its drainage class, identified in
the first sentence of the soil series description,
in the s paces prov ided on the dat<l form.
Circle "Y ES" for "Confirm Mapped Type." If
it does not match, then review the soils that
are listed as inclusions <lnd those adjacent
map units to t ry to find a match. Finally,
check off on the form ali of the indicators yOll
identified in the soil sample and verify thaI
the soil has hydric ch<lracteristics (Chapter 4).
We tl a nd Determinat ion
The final section of the data form summarizes your findings for the sample plot and
asks YOll to make a fina l decision as to
whether the location is a wetland or not. Each
of the sections provide space for "Remarks."
Use it. Write a short sentence describing why
each parameter is or is not satisfied (see the
sample completed form in Appendix A).
Locating the Boundary
From the wetland sample point, move in
<l straight line toward the nearest <lre<l that
you are certain is an upland. Normally, you
will be moving uphil l, although the grad ient
may be very gentle. As you proceed look for
changes in the plant community and changes
in topography. Periodically, check the character of the soil with a soil probe to see if it has
changed to nonhydric.
Note the location where you first observe
healthy, FACU and/or UPL plants growing.
Water-tolerant p lants may adapt better to
drier condi tions than water-intolerant plants
adapt to wetter conditions. Signs of water
st ress in wood y plants include numerous
dead branches, twisted or bent trunks and
exposed roots. You may notice a slight, <lbrupt
b reak in topography (as little as two or three
inches). If the soils arc changing, proceed
at least another 30 feet upslope and locate a second sample plot.
Examine the vegetiltion, hydrology
and soils at thc new silmple plot in the
same manner as at the first. Record your
observations on a second data form. If
you conclude that this second plot is still
in the wetland, then proceed further uphill looking for another vegeta tion and/
or topographic break. If you conclude
that the second data plot is non-wetland,
then your boundary is located between
the first and second data points. Flag this
sample plot and label it "Data 1 - Up" .
Retracc your steps to the point where
you first observed healthy FACU and/or
UPL plants growing. Check the soils immediately upslope of these plants to see
if they retain hydric characteristics or are
taking on the characteristics of the upland soils. Under ideal conditions, the
soils will change abruptly. Don't be surprised, however, if the soils have some
characteristics of both the upland and
wetland soils. There may be a mixing at
the boundary, especially if the upslope
has becn subjected to past erosion . If you are
satisfied tha t water is not present in most
years above, at, or near the surface long
enough during the growing season to stress
the plant community, then you have identified the boundary point. If not, you must
gradually work your way upslope until you
are satisfied.
Using Transects
If you decide to use transects to loca te
yourself in the study area, first establish a
baseline. On the base topographic map or
photograph, select a distinctive, linear feature
that is near the edge of the property, such as
il roild, hedge row or fence line (Figure 5.5).
A straight baseline works best but is not required. The baseline should be oriented more
or less parallel with any known water body
in the study area so that each transect from
the baseline will bisect the slope ra ther than
run parallel with it.
Figure 5.5
I I
Base map
showing
baseline
and
transects.
Sourc e : WTI,
R. Pi erce.
After marking the baseline on your map,
divide it into equal segments no more than
200 to 300 feet apart. Find the midpoint of
each segment and draw a perpendicular line
from the baseline to the opposite side of the
study area . These are your transects.
Examine the position of the transects in relation to the topography of the site. Arc there
any topographic depressions, stream courses or
small bodies of open water indicated on the
base map that will be totally missed by all of
the transects? If there are, then readjust one or
more of the transects to make sure all such features will be examined. You want to find all of
the wetlands, so don' t be concerned with random sampling or statistical bias.
Layout the baseline and transects on the
base map before you visit the site. Once on
the si te, locate the baseline and measure and
mark the starting point for each transect with
surveyors flagging ribbon . Using a compass,
determine the direction of the baseline. Calculate the compass heading you will need to
traverse the transect lines (usually at 90" from
63
the direction of the baseline). Once you begin
along a transect, you must decide on wetland/non-wetland boundary points along it
without deviating to the side. You will return
after all transects have been traveled to mark
the entire boundary.
Proceed on the compass heading along the
first transect for 50 fect and establish a sample
plot. At this point and at each subsequent
sample point along the transect you will make
the same types of observations on vegetation,
hydrology and soils described earlier in this
chapter. Decide whether the first sample point
is in a wetland. Mark the location of the plot
with a labeled flag.
If the first sampling point is in an upland,
proceed along the transect until the plant
community shifts to one with more FACW
and/or OBl spec ies. Move into this next
plant community at least 30 feet and establish
another sample plot. Record your observations on vegetation, hydrology and soils on a
second data sheet. If this plot is a wetland,
then the bounda ry lies between the fi rst and
second points. Mark the location with a labeled flag. If the first sample plot is in a wetland, walk along the compass heading until
the upland is reached.
As described earlier, walk along the
transect towards the upland. Check the soils
immediately upslope of the point at which the
first healthy FACU and/or UPL plants were
encountered. You may notice a slight topo-
graphic break at this point. If the soil is changing towards the upland soii, the topography
continues to risc, and you believe that water
does not remain above, at or close enough to
the surface during the growing season to
st ress the plant community, then you have
identified the boundary. Mark it with a labeled flag.
Con tinue along the first transect marking
each wetland/non-wetland bounda ry and
collectiJlg data at sample points established 30
feet past each such boundary (Figure 5.6).
When you have finished the first transect,
proceed to the next until all have been traversed, data has been collected and the
boundary points flagged.
Marking the Boundary
After you have located one or more boundary points on the edge of a wetland, it is time
to flag the entire edge of the wetland. Several
clues will help you locate the edge without
examining soils for each flag placed. If you
see a consistent (even though slight) topographic break at the bolUldary, delineating the
edge is fairly simple. Other indicators include:
the first occurrence o( healthy individuals of
the same FACU and/or UPL plants that were
found at the break point between data sampling plots; the dominant wetland plant(s)
may stop growing at the boundary; and/or
the nondominant wetland or non-wetland
plants may stop growing at the
boundary. In every case there
Fig ure 5.6
Transect sampli ng. Collect data at each transition from
p robably will be some landscape
upland to wetland . Source: WTI, II. Pierce.
feature which will allow you to
identify the boundary. When necessary, check the soils with a soil
Baseline ""
probe to satisfy yourself that you
Sampling Point
are marking the correct position.
\,
When marking the edge of a
wetland, label each flag with a
sequential code (for example: B1, B-2, B-3 ... ). This will assist you
in relocating points later. Also, if
the boundary is to be surveyed,
wet
up
up
it ensu res that no parts of the
wetland are inadvertently overTransect
looked. Rags should be placed at
each change in direction of the
r
64
edge and close enough that adjoining flags
are visible in either direction. Take field notes
ind icating the starti ng a nd stopping positions
for each flagging sequence and locate the approximate boundary on a base topographic
map.
If the boundary is located by a registered
land surveyor, have him or her give you a
plat of survey showing the location of all
boundary flags and data collection points
(Figure 5.7). Be s ure the surveyor also indica tes the boundaries of the subject property,
provides a scale and north arrow on the plat,
and ties the delineation into the state plane
coordinate system . Referring to your notes
and sketch-map, connect the dots to p roduce
Fig ure 5.7
Survey o r's
p re lim inary
(to p) a nd
fin a l b o und ary p lan
•8·12
Reporting the
Wetland Delineation
to the State
· 8·13
• B·14
• B·\1
• 8 · 1S
• B·l
(boHom) .
DATA WET
•
• B·IO
• B·2 ·
• B·9
DATA UP
• B·'
• B·'
• 8·8 • B·7
- 8 .5
•
B~
....
I~
r
DATA W ET
•
-'!
a continuous bound ary line. Return the
marked -up plan to the surveyor to produce
a final plan . In many cases, listing all flag
points creates a cluttered plan. If this happens, show only the wetland / upland boundary line and the data collection points on the
final plan (Figure 5.7). Retain a copy of the
original draft plan showin g the location of
flag points in case it becomes necessary to
relocate them in the future.
If the boundary is not to be surveyed, you
will need to locate it on a plan using a tape
measure and compass o r plane-table techniques. Locate and record o n the p lan the
position of all d a ta collection points. Other
essentials of a plan arc indicated in Figure 6.2
in Chapter 6.
•
DATA UP
It is highly recommended that you take the
time to report your wetland delineation to the
state. This will provide a record of the \york
you have done and will <lssist future efforts
to id entify wetland s in the Mea. The Wisconsin Wetland Inventory (WWI) is the official
record of wetlands in the state. This official
record is not error-free because the initial
mapping of wetlands is done through inter~
p retation of aerial photos for one date in time.
Field verification is done for a representative
number of wetlands during the initial mapp ing process, but not all wetlands have been
field verified. In addition, change in land use
over the years, especially agriculture, results
in wetland boundary challges and wetland
cla ss ifica tion changes. Changes also occur
due to the dynamic nature of wetlands, illega l filling, etc.
Beca use the WWI is the official record of
wetlands in the state and it is used for wetl<lnd regulatory purposes, it is important to
report map inaccuracies to the WWI staff. To
do th is, u se the "Comment Sheet for Public
Review of Wetland Maps." A s<lmple of the
comment sheet is included in Appendix 13. Fill
65
out information on the proper location of the
wetland and the section that describes the
problem and attach a copy of either the WWI
map or the USGS Tapa map with the delineation drawn as well as you can. WWI staff
will review each comment sheet and have ap-
propriate DNR staff field verify the area in
question. Maps will be corrected and revised
copies will be sent to the appropriate agencies
along with the completed comment sheet
documenting the map changes.
66
C
HA
P
r
ER
6
Preparing or Evaluating a Delineation Report
A
wetland delineation should produce
three things: 1) a marked wetland
boundary ill the field; 2) a map that accurntely represents those bOUlldnries;
and 3) a written report explainil1g how
those boundaries were derived and why
they aye accurate. A wetland delineation
report should be succinct yet filled with
the essential details to verify regulated
boundaries. The report need not define
the word "wetland" or restate standard
methods or approaches. A good report
gets to the point and lists the references
for all sources used. A sample outline for
a wetfnlld delineation report is shown in
Table 6.1. The actual report should be
tailored to the specifics of the project.
Whe'l preparing or evnluating a delill catiDl1 report, think like a newspaper
reporter-ask Who, What, When,
Where, How and Why.
Who requested and/or authorized the
delineatioll and who did it?
W hat approach and methods were
used?
W1z en was the delineation conducted?
W here is the property located?
How were the wetland boundaries
identified?
Wh y was a particular approach used ?
When these questions are answered in
a straightforward and concise manner
and in a standardized format, you have
a wetla/ld delineation report. Finally,
keep in mind that the wetland delineation report is a mapping exercise, 110t a
research exercise. The report should only
include enough data points to accurately
depict the area and to demonstrate that
the delineator had a sound, factual basis for selecting wetland boundaries.
Collecting too much data may be a waste
of time and money.
Delineator Qualifications
Wetland delineation is an interdisciplinary
process and with proper training and practice
nnyone can learn it. Simple, routine delineations can be successfully conducted a fter a
minimum four to five-day, combined field /
lecture course. Perhaps the biggest problem
that novices face is learning to correctly identify plant species. To overcome this deficiency
one must spend the time necessary to identify the plants by having them verified by an
expert or working directly with a plant taxonomist. Being able to identify plants greatly
increases the efficiency of the delineator. But
the key to a successful delineation is the ability to read the landscape and understand the
movement of ground imd surface water and
how it affects the soils and plants.
The fastest way to sharpen one's skills is
to work in the field with more experienced
delineators, hydrologists and soil scientists.
To eva luate the competency of a delineator (or
team of delineators) for the validity of a delineation report, one should consider academic background, the number of previous
delineations conducted and the number of
delineations accepted by government agencies. The better the delineator, the less time a
zoning official or other regulator needs to
fiel d-check boundary lines.
Introductory Section
A typical wetland delinention report usually begins with a brief one to three paragraph
introduction which includes: 1) the party or
parties that requested the delinention and
their authorization to proceed; 2) the purpose
of the delineation nnd the objectives to be
achieved; and 3) the location of the site, often referring to a location or vicinity map. The
introduction should nlso state the dates the
field work was conducted and provide a list
of those conducting the delineation, induding
the name of the person responSible for its
authenticity and accuracy.
67
Table 6.1
Sample Outline for a
Wetland Delineation Report.
I. Introduction
A Who authorized the delineation
B. Why It Is being done
C. Location of site (map)
D. Dote of site visit(s)
E. Identlflcotion of delineators
II. Methods
A. Brief description of methods used
B. Any modification of methods
C. Sources of existing Information used
Ill. Results and Discussion
A. Description of site
1. Topography
2. Plant communities
3. Soils mapped and found (map)
4. HydrOlogy information
5. Existing wetland mapping 0NlN1)
B. Findings
1. Types of wetlands Identified
a. Description
b. Locations
c. Area
d, Contrast with non-wetland
e. How boundary was chosen
2. Types of other waters identified
a, Description
b, Locations
c. Area
d. Contrast with non-wetland
e. How boundary was chosen
IV. Conclusion
A. Brief summary of total area and
types of wetlands and other
regulated waters
B. Statement regarding the need for
permits
C. Caution that final authority rests
with the appropriate agencies
V. literature Cited
VI. Appendix A (data sheets)
VII. Appendix B (wetlond delineation
mop)
Soulce: WTI, C. Newllng 8: R. Plelce
Methods Section
The second section of the report describes
the methods used to identify and delineate
wetland boundaries. Simply cite the appropriate portion of the wetland delineation manual
and any pertinent statutory code references
required by the agency that ultimately receives the report. Also include any references
used, such as the Wisconsin Wetland Inventory map; county soi l survey; the county, state
or national list of hydric soils; the list used for
deriving the indicator status of plants; and
any maps, aerial photographs or other documentation. If aerial photographs are used, be
sure to include a review of precedent precipitation data. Finally, note any modification of
methods required by site conditions and state
the rationale for the modification. A typical
methods section is one to three paragraphs in
length.
Results And
Discussion Section
This is the main body of the report and
varies in length depending on the complexity of the site. The section contains: 1) a detailed site description; 2) the evidence found
of both wetlands and non-wetlands on the
site; 3) the rationale for selecting the wetland
boundary; 4) a description of how the boundary line itself was recognized and marked in
the field; and 5) the area of wetland and other
regulated areas - streams, rivers or lakes
delineated by type. This section should give
the reader who has not visited the site an
accurate mental picture of it. The site description includes site topography, plant communities, mapped soils, summary of hydrologic
information and any other wetland mapping
that may have included the site, such as WWI
and /or local wetland inventory maps. If it
will help the reader better understand the site,
include reproductions of maps such as the
NRCS county soil survey and wetland inventory maps as figures, making sure to credit
the information source. A good delineation
map is depicted in Figure 6.1.
68
The delineator then may provide a brief
explanation of how water affects the site. If
wetlands are present, identify the source of
water: d irect precipitation and/or ponding,
flooding, seasonal high water tables or some
combination of these. Next, the delineator
may describe the most critical aspects of the
hydrology, soils and/or vegetation. Some
sites may con tain other non-wetland waters
that are regulated (streams, rivers and lakes) ,
These areas should be identified in a mMner
similar to that used for wetlands. Provide a
description of the types of other regulated
waters identifjed including the location and
area of each; a description of how the nonwetl and waters contrast with the adjacent
non-wetland; and a succinct d escription of
what was used in the field to identify the actual boundary line between regulated waters
and non-regulated areas (often an ordinary
high water mark or the bed and bank of a
stream). Field work on a site
sometimes reveals conditions pertinent to other activities regulated
by government agencies, for example, hazardous waste materials, endangered species or historic
properties. Include this information in a separate document.
Literature Cited Section
The Literature Cited section lists only those
specific documents used in the preparation of
the report. Such documents typically include
the wetland delineation manual, county soil
survey, list(s) of hydric soils (county, state or
national), the list from which the indicator
status of plants was derived, citation of any
maps or aerial photographs, and any other
document, guide, iden tific.,tion key, or text
specifically mentioned in the report.
Appendices Section
The wetland deline<llion report m.,y include one or more appendices. One appendix
typically contains the actual data sheets prepared for both wetland and non-wetland locations throughout the project site. A sample
data shL"Ct is provided in Appendix A. Certi-
Concluding
Section
A wetland delineation report
should end with a one- or twoparagraph summary. 11 should
include: 1) the tot<l l area and
types of wetlands and other regulated waters (if any) ident ified,
marked and mapped for the si te;
2) a statement regarding government permits needed (if any)
prior to beginn ing work; and 3) a
rem inder that final authority over
the area rests wit h the appropriate agencies. If an endangered or
th reatened species is found at a
sampling point, it should be
noted.
Proprny lJ""
Figure 6.1
Essentials ot
a good
delineation
map: property, weiland
and other
water boundaries, data
collection
points, north
arrow , scale ,
topography
and recognizable
landmark
(house).
Source: WTI.
R. Pierce.
500
H
scole
o
soo
1000
fe et
69
fied soil testers may want to use the Department of Industry, Labor And Human Relations, Division of Safety and Buildings "Soil
and Site Evaluation Report" in describing
soils.
Another Appendix may contain the wetland delineation map (Figure 6.1). A registered land surveyor can draw this map,
working in concert with the wetland delineator who marked the wetland boundary in the
." ....
field. Alternately, the delineator can draw the
map using a pre-existing base map such as a
property boundary map, a topographic map
or an overlay on an aerial photograph. The
type of map and accuracy required will depend on its intended use and the specific requirements of the agency. If the delineation
will be recorded to plat and, thus, carried
with the title of the property, a registered land
surveyor should prepare the map.
70
CHAPTER
7
Sources of Information
L
isted below are sources of information that will be useful for identifying and
delineating wetlands in Wisconsin.
Maps
Wisconsin Wetrand Inventory Maps.
Available from:
• Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey
Map Sales
3817 Mineral Point Road
Madison, Wisconsin 53705
(608) 263-7389
USGS Topographic Surveys (Including the 7.5
minute Quadrangle Maps, "Quad Maps"),
Available from:
• Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey
Map Sales Office
(see above)
• US. Geological Survey
National Cartographic Information Center
507 National Center
Reston, Virginia 22092
(703) 860-6045
1 (BOO) 872-6277
• and certa in retail m ap and sporting goods stores.
FEMA Flood Hazard Mops.
Available from:
• Flood Map Distribution Center
Federal Emergency Management Agency
6930 (A·F) San Tomas Road
Baltimore, Maryland 21227·6227
Map Distribution Center-l·800-358-9616
• National Flood Insurance Program General
Information: 1-81JO.638-6620.
Aerial Photographs
Available from:
• National Cartographic Information Center (see
address under Maps above)
71
Air Photo Index Book for aU Wisconsin counties available
from:
• State Cartographer's Office
160 Science Hall
550 North Park Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53706
(608) 262-3065
Numerous commercial sources including:
• Aero-Metric Engineering, Inc.
4708 North 40th Street
P.O. Box 449
Sheboygan, Wisconsin 53082-0449
(414) 457-3631
• County and regional planning authorities
• Corps of Engineers District offices
• University of Wisconsin, Madison, Geography Library
• Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service in
each county
• Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Technical Service-58
P.O. Box 7916
Madison, Wisconsin 53707-7916
(608) 266-7809; 266-0309
Precipitation
• Midwestern Climate Center
Illinois State Water Survey
2204 Griffith Drive
Champaign, Illinois 61820
(217) 244-8226
Precipitation infonnation is also available from:
• National Climatic Data Center
Federal Building
Asheville, North Carolina 28801-2696
(704) 259-0682
• State Climatologist
Wisconsin State Climatology Office
1224 West Dayton Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53706
(608) 263-2374
72
Hydrology
Stream gauge and groundwater well data are available
from:
• District Chief, Water Resources Division
U.s. Geological Service
6417 Normandy Lane
Madison, Wisconsin 53719
(608) 274-3535
Other possible sources of hydrology data include:
• Army Corps of Engineers district offices
• Natural Resources Conservation Service county
offices
• County health departments; septic system division.
• Wisconsin Geological & Natural History Survey
3817 Mineral Point Road
Madison, Wisconsin 53705
Soils
USDA County Soil Surveys and county lists of hydric
soil map units and map units with hydric inclusions
are available from the District Conservationist at each
Natural Resources Conservation Service Field Office
located in each county seat.
Additional soils information, state hydric soils list, and
surveys also available from:
• State Soil Scientists
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
6516 Watts Road; Suite 200
Madison, Wisconsin 53719-2726
(608) 264-5589
73
Vegetation
List
Of Plant Species That
Occur In Wetlands (Na+
tional, Region 3, and/or state) may be available
through federal bookstores or:
• Regional Wetland Coordinator
National Wetlands Inventory
U.s. Fish and Wildlife Service
Federal Building, Ft. Snelling
Twin Cities, Minnesota 55111
Also available from:
• National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, Virginia 22161
(703) 487-4660
74
Plant Identification Manuals & Field Guides
his section is divided into popular
and technical guides and combination popular/technical guides. Other potentially useful guides are included in
the "other" category.
T
Popular Guides
Brown, Lauren. 1979. Grasses: An Identification Guide. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. 240 pp.
Courtenay, B. and J.H. Zimmerman. 1972.
Wildffowers and Weeds. Van Nostand
Reinhold Co. , New York. 144 pp.
Edsall, M.S. 1985. Roadside Plan is and Flowers: A Travelers Guide to the Midwest and
Great Lakes Area. The University of Wisconsin Press, ~adison. 143 pp.
Elias, T.S. 1980. The Complete Trees of North
America: Field Guide and Natural History.
O. Van Nostrand Co., New York. 948 pp.
Harrington, H.D. 1977. How to Identify
Grasses and Grasslike Plants. The Swallow
Press, Inc., Chicago. 142 pp.
Harrington, H.D., and L.W. Durrell. How to
Identify Plants . Swallow Press, Athens,
Ohio. 203 pp.
Lund, H. C. 1988. Michigan Wildflowers.
Village Press, Traverse City, Michigan.
120 pp.
Lunn, E.T. 1982. Plants of the Illinois
Dunesland. Illinois Dunesland Society.
118 pp.
Newcomb, L. 1977. Newcomb's Wildflower
Guide. little, Brown and Co., Boston. 490
pp.
Peterson, R. T. and M McKenny. 1968. A
Field Guide to Wildflowers of Northeastem
and Northcentral North America.
Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. 420 pp.
Petrides, C. A. 1972. A Field Guide to Trees
and Shrubs, 2nd Edition. Houghton
Mifflin Co., Boston. 428 pp.
Watts, M.T., and T. Watts. 1970. Winter Tree
Finder. A Manual for Identifying DeciduOIlS Trees in Winter. Nature Study Guild,
Berkeley, California. 62 pp.
Technical Guides
Britton, N .L., and H.A. Brown. 1970. An
Illustrated Flora of the Northern United
States and Canada. (2nd Edition Reprint)
Volumes 1, 2 & 3. Dover Publications,
Inc. New York. Vol. I, 680 pp. Vol. 2, 735
pp. Vol. 3, 637 pp.
Case, Jr., FW. 1987. Orchids of the Eastern
Great Lakes Region. Cranbrook Institute
of Science, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Bulletin 48. 251 pp.
Fassett, N .e. 1951. Grasses of Wisconsin.
University of Wisconsin Press, Madison.
173 pp. Fassett, N .e. 1975.
Fassett, N.C. 1957. A Manual of Aquatic
Plants. University of Wisconsin Press,
Madison. 405 pp.
Fassett, N .C. 1976. Spring Flora of Wisconsin. 4th Edition. Revised by O. S.
Thomson. University of Wisconsin
Press, Madison. 413 pp.
Gleason, H.A. 1952. The New Britton and
Brown Illustrated Flora of the Northeastern
United States and Adjacent Canada. 3 Volumes, 3rd Edition. Hafner Press, New
York. Vol. 1, 482 pp.; Vol. 2, 655 pp.; Vol.
3,595 pp.
Gleason, H.A., and A. Cronquist. 1991.
Manual of Vascular Plants of the Northeastem United States and Adjacent Canada.
2nd Edition. New York Botanical Garden,
New York. 910 pp.
Hitchcock, AS. 1971. (Reprint) Manual of
the Grasses of the United States. 2 Volumes. Dover Publications, New York.
Vol. 1, 1~569 pp.; Vol. 2, 570-1051 pp.
McQueen, CB. 1990. Field Guide to the Peat
Mosses of Boreal North America. University Press of New England, Hanover,
New Hampshire. 138 pp.
Morley, T. 1969. Spring Flora of Minnesota.
University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. 283 pp.
Rosendahl, e.O. 1955. Trees and Shrubs of
the Upper Midwest. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. 411 pp.
75
Smith, W, R. 1993. Orchids of Minnesota.
University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. 172 pp.
Swink, F. and C. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of
the Chicago Region. 4th Edition. Indiana
Academy of Science, Indianapolis, Indiana. 921 pp.
Thomson, 0.5.1976. Spring Flora of Wisconsin . University of Wisconsin Press,
Madison. 413 pp.
Voss, E. 1972. Michigan Flora. Part I. Gymnospenns and Monocotyledons . Cranbrook
Institute of Science, Bloomfield Hills,
Michigan. 488 pp.
Voss, E. 1985. Michigan Flora. Part II. Dicotyledons. Cranbrook Institute of Science,
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. 724 pp.
Other Guides
Bames, B. V. and W. H. Wagner, Jr. 1981.
Michigan Trees: A Guide to the Trees of
Michigan and the Great Lakes Region. The
University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor. 383 pp.
Batson, W.T. 1977. Genera of the Eastern
Plants: A Guide to the Genera of Native and
Commonly Introduced Ferns alld Seed
Plants of Eastern North America. John
Wiley and Sons, New York.
Harlow, w'M. 1957. Trees of the Eastern and
Central United States and Canada. Dover
Publications, Inc., New York. 288 pp.
Hoagman, w,J. 1994. A Field Guide: Great
Lakes Coastal Plants. Michigan Sea Grant
College Program, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
135 pp.
Combination Popular
and Technical Guides
Cobb, B. 1963. A Field Guide to Ferns and
Their Related Families of Northeastern and
Cwtral North America. Peterson Field
Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. 281 pp.
Eggers, S.D. and D.M. Reed. 1988. Wetland
Plarlts and Plant Communities Of Minnesota and Wisconsin. U.5. Army Corps of
...
' ~'-
Engineers, St. Paul District., St. PauL
Minnesota. 201 pp.
Harlow, W.H. 1941. Fruit Key and Twig Key
to Trees and Shrubs. Dover Publications,
New York. 56 pp.
Pohl, RW, 1968. How to Know the Grasses .
William C. Brown Co., Oebuque, Iowa.
244
pp.
Symonds, G.W.D. 1963. The Shrub Identification Book. William Morrow and Co.,
New York. 379 pp.
Trelease, W, 1931. Winter Botany. An Identification Guide to Native Trees and
Shrubs. Dover Publications, New York.
396 pp.
Tryon, R 1980. Ferns of Minnesota. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis.
16S pp.
Williams, J.C. and A.E. Williams. 1983. A
Field Guide to Orchids of North America.
Universe Books, 143 pp.
Knoble, E. 1977. Field Guide To The Grasses,
Sedges, and Rushes Of The United States.
(Reprint.) Dover Publishing, New York.
83 pp.
Mohlenbrock, R. H. 1973. Forest Trees of Illinois. Illinois Department of Conservation, Springfield, Illinois. 331 pp.
76
Literature Cited
Ifollowing
of information were consulted. The
a list of those that provided
n preparing this guide, many sources
(8)
Hall, L.c. 1968. Bibliography of Freshwater Wetlands Ecology and Management.
Department of Natural Resources. Res.
Rept. No. 33. Madison, Wisconsin.
(9)
Heath, R. C. 1983. Basic Ground-Water
Hydrology. U. S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2220. Denver, Colorado. 84 pp.
is
the greatest contribution .
(1)
Bigham, ].M. and E.J. Ciolkosz, eds.
1993. Soil Color. Proceedings of a symposium sponsored by Divisions 5-5 and 59 of the Soil Science Society of America
in 5<Ul Antonio, Texas, 21-26 Oct. 1990.
SSSA Special PubL No. 31. Soil Science
Society of America, Inc. Madison, Wisconsin. 159 pp.
(2)
Curtis, J.T. 1971. The Vegetation of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press,
Madison. 657 pp.
(3)
Cowardin, L.M., V. Carter, F.e. Golet,
and E.T. LaRoe. 1979. Classification of
Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the
United States. U.s. Fish & Wildlife Service. Pub!. No. fWSOBS-79/31. Washington, D.C. 103 pp.
(0) Hewlett, 1.0. 1982. Principles of Forest
Hydrology. University of Georgia Press,
Athens. 183 pp.
(11)
Munsell Color. 1992. Munsell Soil Color
Charts (revised edition). Macbeth Division of Kollmorgen Instruments Corp.
Newburgh, New York.
(12) National Technical Committee for Hy-
dric Soils. 1991. Hydric Soils of the United
States, 3rd edition. Misc. Pub!. No. 1491.
U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington, D.C.
(4)
Damman, A.H.W., and T.W. French.
1987. The Ecology of Peat Bogs in the Glaciated Northeastern United States: A ComIn/wity Profile. U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service. BioI. Rept. 85(7.16) Washington,
O.c. 100 pp.
(13) Novitzki, R. P. 1979. Hydrologic Chnracteristics of Wisconsin's Wetlands and Their
Influence on Floods, Stream flow and Sediment, pages 377-388. In: P. E. Greeson, 1.
R. Clark and J. E. Clark (eds.). Wetland
FunctiollS and Values: The State of Our Understanding. American Water Resource
Assoc., Minneapolis, Minnesota. 674 pp.
(5)
Eggers, S.D. and D.M . Reed. 1988. Wetland Plants and Plant Communities of MinIlescta and Wisconsin. U.s. Army Corps of
Engineers, St. Paul District, St. Paul,
Minnesota. 201 pp.
( 4) Novitski, R.P. 1979. An Introduction to
Wisconsin Wetlands: Plants, Hydrology,
and Soils. U.s. Geological Survey in cooperation with the University of Wisconsin, Madison. 19 pp.
(6)
Environmental Laboratory. 1987. Corps
of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manua/.
U.S. Anny Engineer Waterways Experiment Station. Tech. Rept. Y-87-1. Vicksburg, Mississippi. 100 pp. + appendices.
OS) Novitzki, R. P. 1982. Hydrology of Wisconsin Wetlands. University of Wisconsin,
Federal Interagency Committee for Wetland Delineation. 1989. Federal Manual
For Identifying Jurisdictional Wetlands.
U.s. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S.D.A.
Natural Resources Conservation Service. Washington, D.C. 107 pp + appendices.
(16) Parker, W. B., S. Faulkner, B. Gamrell
and W. H. Patrick, 1r. 1984. Soil Wetness
and Aeration in Relation to Plant Adaptation {or Selected Hydric Soils in the Mississippi and Pearl River Deltas. In:
Proceedings of Workshop on Characterization, ClaSSification and Utilization of Wetland Soils (March 26-April 1, 1984).
International Rice Research Institute,
Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines.
(7)
Extension, Geological and Natural History Survey. Info. Circ. 40, Madison,
Wisconsin. 22 pp.
77
117) Pennack,
R. W. 1989. Fresh-Water Invertebrates of the United States. The Ronald
Press Co., New York.
J. 1970. Wisconsin's Wetland
Soils, A Review. Wisconsin Department
o f Natural Resources. Res. Rept. 57.
Madison. 22 pp.
118) Phillips,
(19) Ponnamperuma,
...
(27) USDA. Soil Survey Staff. 1975. Soil Tax.
onomy. A Basic System of Soil Classificatioll
for Making and Interpreting Soil Surveys.
U.s. Department of Agriculture, Natural
Resources Conservation Service, Washington, D.C. 754 pp.
(28) U.s.O.A. Soil Survey Staff. 1992. Keys to
F. N. 1972. The Chemistry of Submerged Soils. Advances in
Agronomy 24; 29-96.
Soil Taxonomy, 5th Edition. SMSS Tech.
Monogr. No. 19. Pocohontas Press, Inc.,
Blacksburg, Virginia. 541 pp.
(20) Reed, EB., Jr. 1988. National List of Plant
Species That Occur in Wetlands: !"o~th
(29) Veneman, P.L.M., M.J. Vepraskas, and J.
Central (Region 3).U.5. Fish and WLidlife
Service. Bioi . Rept. 88 (26.3). 99 pp.
Bouma. 1976. The PhYSical Significance of
Soil Mottling in a Wisconsin Toposequence.
Geoderma 15: 103-118 .
(21) Shaw, S. and C. G. Fredine. 1971. We/-
(30) Vepraskas, M .J. 1992. Redo:imorphic.Fea-
lands of the Ullited StatL'S. Circular 39. U.
S. Department of the Interior, U. S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C
67 pp.
tures for Identifying AqulC ConditIOns.
Tech. Bull. 301. North Carolina Agricultural Research Service. North Carolina
State University, Raleigh. 33 pp.
(22) Sipple, W.s. 1987a. Wetland Identi/icati?/1
(31) Wanggen, O. A., C Johnson, G. 8 . Lee,
and Delineation Manual, Volume 1. RnllOnale, Wetland Parameters, and Overview of
jurisdictional Approach. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Wetlands Protection, Washington, D.C 28
pp. + appendices.
(32) Zimmerman, J.H. 1988. A Multi-Purpose
(23) Sipple, WS. 1987b. Wetland ldentificat.ion
And Delineation Manual , Volume II. FIeld
Methodology. U.s. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Wetlands Protection, Washington, D.C. 29 pp. +
appendices.
:'..:.
(24) liner, R.W., Jr. 1991. Maine Wetlands and
Their Boundaries: A Guide for Code Enforcement Officers . State of Maine, J:?epartment of Economic and Commun.lty
Development, Office of Comprehensive
Planning, Augusta, Maine. 72 pp.
(25)
U.s.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service. 1982a. National List of Scientific Plant Names, Volume I. List of Plant
Names. NRCS-TP-159, Washington, D.C
416 pp.
(26) U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conserva-
tion Service. 1982b. National List of Scimtific Plant Names. Volume 1. Synollomy.
NRCS-TP-159, Washington, D.C. 438 pp.
L. R. Massie, L. F. Mukhay, R. L. Ruff
and 1. A. Schoeneman. 1976. Wisconsin's
Wetlands. University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension. Publ. G2818, Madison.
Wetland Characterization Procedure Featuring the Hydroperiod. Proceedings of the
National Symposium: Wetland Hydrology. Jon Kuslier (ed .). Association of
State Wetland Managers. September 16.
18,1987. Chicago, Illinois.
78
Glossary
Active water table: A condition in which the
zone of soil saturation fluctuates, resulting
in periodic anaerobic soil conditions. Soils
with an active water table often contain
bright mottles and matrix chromas of 2 or
less.
Adap tation : A modification of a species that
makes it more fit for existence under the
conditions of its environment. These modifications are the result of genetic selection
processes.
Adven titious roots: Roots found on plant
stems in positions where they normally do
not occur.
Aeren ch ymous tissue (aerenchym a): A type
of plant tissue in which cells are unusually
large and arranged in a manner that results
ill air spaces in the plant organ. Such tissues are often referred to as spongy and
usually provide increased buoyancy.
Aerob ic: A situation in which molecular oxygen is a part of the environment.
Albic horizon: The albic horizon is a horizon
from which clay and free iron oxides have
been removed or in which the oxides have
been segregated to the extent that the color
of the horizon is determined by the color
of the primary sand and silt particles rather
than by the coatings on these particles.
Anaerob ic: A situation in which molecular
oxygen is absent (or effectively so) from the
environment.
An n ua l: Occurring yearly or, as in annual
plants, living for only one year.
Aq uati c roots: Roots that develop on stems
above the normal position occupied by
roots in response to prolonged inundation.
Aq uic m oistu re regime: A mostly reducing
soil moisture regime nearly free of dissolved oxygen due to saturation by
groundwater or its capillary fringe and occurring at periods when the soil temperature at 19.7 inches is greater than 5 C.
Bac kwater floodi ng: A situation in which the
source of inunda tion is overbank flooding
from a nearby stream.
Basal area: The cross-sectional area of a tree
trunk measured in square inches, square
centimeters, etc. Basal area is normally
measured at 4.5 feet above the ground level
and is used as a measure of dominance.
The most easily used tool for measuring
basal area is a tape marked in squa re
inches. When plotless· methods are used,
an angle gauge or prism will provide a
means for rapidly determining basal area .
This term is also applicable to the crosssectional area of a clumped herbaceous
plant, measured at 1.0 inches above the soil
surface.
Buttressed (tree tru nks): The swollen or enlarged bases of trees developed in response
to conditions of p rolonged inundation.
Canopy layer: The uppermost layer of vegetation in a plant community. In forested
areas, mature trees comprise the canopy
layer, while the tal!est herbaceous species
constitute the canopy layer in a marsh.
Capillary fr inge: A zone immediately above
the water table (zero gauge pressure) in
which water is drawn upward from the
water table by capillary action.
Chemical reductio n: Any process by which
one compound or ion acts as an electron
donor. In such cases, the valence state of
the electron donor is decreased.
Chroma: The relative purity or saturation of
a color; intensity of distinctive hue as related to grayness; one of the three variables
of color.
Climax (mesic hardwood forest) : The final
stage (sere) in succession of a natural community. Without some perturbation, the
climax community will continue indefinitely w ith the same general composition
of species.
Com posites: Belonging to the Compositae, a
family plants, including the daisy, dandelion and aster, in which florets are borne in
a dose head surrounded by a common rosette of bracts.
Concretion: A local concentration of chemical compounds <e.g. calcium carbonate,
iron oxide) in the form of a grain or nodule of varying size, shape, hardness and
color. Concretions of significance in hydric
soils are usually iron and / or manganese
oxides occurring at or near the soil surface,
which develop under conditions of prolonged soil saturation.
Cover: A measure of dominance that defines
the degree to which above-ground portions
79
;-:::
of plants (not limited to those rooted in a
sample plot) cover the ground surface. lt
is possible for the tota l areal cover in a
community to exceed 100 percent because
(a) most plant communities consist of two
or more vegetative strata; (b) areal cover is
estimated by vegetative layer; and (c) foliage within a si ngle layer may overlap.
Contour: An imaginary line of constant elevation on the g round surface. The corresponding line on a map is called a "contour
line."
Deepwater aquatic habitat: Any open water
area that has a mean annual water depth
greater than 6.6 feet, lacks soil and/ or is either unvegetated or supports only floating
o r submersed macrophytes.
Diameter at breast h eight (DBH): The width
of a tree trunk as measured at 4.5 feet
above the ground surface.
Discharge: To come or pour forth as in
groundwater coming to the surface of the
ground.
Disturbed area : As used herein, this term refers to areas in which one or more parameter (vegetation, soil and / or hydrology)
have been sufficiently altered by recent human activities or natural events to preclude
the presence of wetland indica tors of the
parameter.
Dominant plant species: A plan t species that
exerts an ecologically controlling influence
on or defines the character of a community.
It is often measured in terms of relative
number of plants, basal area or percent
cover.
Drift line: An accumulation of debris along
a contour (parallel to the water flow) that
represents the height of an inundation
event.
Emergent plant: A rooted herbaceous plant
species that has parts extendin g above a
water surface.
Evapotranspiration: Water loss from the
ground as a result of the combined effects
of evaporation from the surface and the
transpiration or movement of water up
plant stems from the ground to their leaves
during photosynthesis.
Facultative pla nt species: Plants that can occur in both wetlands and uplands.
Floating mat (stems or leaves): A dense layer
of surface vegetation formed by plants
which float in water that is too deep to allow emergent plants to survive.
Flora: A list of all plant species that occur in
an area.
Forb: Any herb that is not a grass or grasslike.
Frequ ency (inundation or soil saturation):
The periodicity of coverage of an area by
surface water or soil saturation. It is usually expressed as the number of years (e.g.
SO years) the soil is inundated or saturated
at least once each yea r during part of the
growing season per 100 years or as a 1-,
2-, 5-year, etc., inundation frequency.
Frequently flood ed: A flooding class in
which flooding is likely to occur often under nonnal weather conditions (more than
50-percent chance of flood ing in any year
or more than 50 times in 100 years).
Glacial till: Drift deposited behind receding
g laciers, consisting of an unsorted mixture
of clay, sand gravel and boulders.
Gleyed: A soil condition resulting from prolonged soil saturation, which is manifested
by the presence of bluish or greenish colors through the soil mass or in mottles
(spo ts o r streaks) among other colors.
Gleying occurs under reducing soil conditions resulting from soil saturation, by
which iron is reduced predominantly to
the ferrous state.
Graminoid plants: Grasses and grass-like
plants such as rushes and sedges.
Groundwater: Water in the saturated zone.
Hardpan: A very dense soil layer caused by
compaction or cementation of soil particles
by organic matter, silica or calcium carbonate.
Herb: A flowering plant whose stem above
ground does not become woody and persist.
Herbaceous layer: The stratum of vegetation
composed of herbs. Seedlings of woody
plants (including vines) that are less than
3.2 feet in height are considered to be in the
herb layer.
Histic epipedon: A 8- to 16-inch soil layer at
or near the surface that is saturated for 30
or more consecutive days during the grow-
80
ing season in most years and contains a
minimum of 20 percent organic matter
when no d"y is present or a minimum of
30 percent organic matter when 60 percent
or greater clay is present.
Histosols: An order in soil taxonomy composed of o rganic soils that have o rganic
soil materials in morc than half of the upper 80 centimeters or that are of any thickness if directly overlying bedrock.
Horizon: A distinct layer of soil, more or less
parallel with the soil surface, having similar properties such as color, texture, and
permeability.
Hue: A characteristic of color that denotes a
color in relation to red, yellow, blue, etc.;
one of the three variables of color. Each
color chart in the Munsell Color Book
(Munsell Color 1975) consists of a specific
hue.
Hummock: An elevated tract rising above the
general level of a marshy region; a knoll or
hillock.
Hydric soil: A soil that is saturated, flooded
or ponded long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions
that favor the growth and regener<ltion of
hydrophytic vegetation (U.s. Department
of AgricuJture-Natural Resources Conservation Service, 1985). Hydric soils that occur in areas having positive indicators of
hydrophytic vegetation and wetland hydrology are wetland soils.
Hydrology: The science dealing with the
properties, distribution and circulation of
water.
Hydroperiod: The fluctuations in water elevation above and/or below the ground's surface during an inte rval of time (usually
either the growing season or a calendar
year).
Hydrophyte: Plants which can tolerate long
periods of inundation or saturated soil conditions.
Hydrophytic vegetation: The community of
macrophytic plants growing in water or on
soils that are at least periodically saturated.
Hypertrophied lenticels: An exaggerated
(oversized) pore on the surface of stems of
woody plants through which gases are exchanged between the plant and the atmo-
sphere. The enlarged lenticels serve as a
mechanism for increasing oxygen to plant
roots during periods of inundation and /or
saturated soils.
Inflated (leaves, stems or roots): Plant structures with spongy (aerenchymous) tissues
that provide buoyancy or support and
serve as a reservoir or passageway for oxygen needed for metabolic processes.
Indicator status: One of the categories (e.g.
OBL) that describes the estimated probability of a plant species occurring in wetlands.
Inundation: A condition in which water from
any source temporarily or permanently
covers a land surface <e.g. flooded).
Lenticel: A small, usually raised, soft, porous
spot in the cork layer of stems; it permits
gas exchange between the living tissue and
the surrounding air.
Levee: A natural or anthropogenic feature of
the landscape that restricts movement of
water into or through an area.
Matrix: The natural soil material composed of
_both mineral and organic matter. Matrix
color refers to the predominant color of the
soil in a particular horizon.
Mineral soil: A soil consisting predominantly
of, and having its properties determined
predo~inantly by, mineral matter usually
containing less than 20 percent organic
matter.
Moraine: A ridge, mound or irregular deposit
of boulders, gravel, sand and clay deposited as a glacier recedes.
Morphological adaptation: A feature of structure and form that aids in fitting a species
to its particular environment (e.g. buttressed base, adventit ious roots,
aerenchymous tissue.
Mottles: Spots or blotches of different color
or shades of color interspersed within the
dominant color in a soil layer, usually resulting from the presence of periodic reducing soil conditions.
Muck: Highly decomposed organic material
in which the original plant parts are not
recognizable.
Navigable waters: Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, all natural inland lakes within Wisconsin and all streams, ponds, sloughs,
flowages and other waters within the ter-
81
ritorial limits of this state, including the
Wisconsin portion of the boundary waters,
which are navigable under the laws of this
state. Generally, a waterway is navigable if
it has a bed and banks and can float a canoe at some time each year, even if only
during spring floods. ("Navigable waters
of the U.5." are different.)
N onhy dric soil : A soil that has developed
under predominantly aerobic soil cond itions. These soils normally support mesophytic or xerophytic species.
Obliga te uplan d (UP l ) species: Plants that
are almost always found in non-wetlands.
Obligate wetland (OB l ) sp ecies: Plants that
are almost always found in wetlands.
O rd ina ry high water mark (OHWM ): Defines the bed of a lake, river or stream . It
is the point on the bank or shore up to
which the presence and action of surface
water is so continuous as to leave a distinct
mark by erosion, destruction or prevention
of terrestrial vegetation, predominance of
aquatic vegetation, or other easily recognized characteristic.
Orga nic soil: A soil is classified as an organic
soil when it is: 1) saturated for prolonged
periods (unless artificially drained) and has
more than 30 percent organic matter if the
mineral fraction is more than 50 percent
clay, or more than 20 percent organic matter if the mineral fraction has no clay; or 2)
never saturated with water for more than
a few days and has more than 34 percent
organic matter.
Oxid atio n-red uction process: A complex of
biochemical reactions in soil that influences
the valence state of component elements
and their ions. Prolonged soil saturation
during the growing season elicits anaerobic conditions that shift the overall process
to a reducing condition.
Pan, orga ni c: A layer usually occurring at 12
to 30 inches below the soil surface in
coarse-textured soils, in which organic
matter and aluminum (with or without
iron) accumulate at the point where the top
of the water table most often occurs. Cementing of the organic matter slightly reduces permeability of this layer.
Parent mat erial : The unconsolidated and
more or less weathered mineral or organic
matter from which a soil profile develops.
Ped: A unit of soil structure (e.g. aggregate,
crumb, prism, block or granule) formed by
natural processes.
Peraquic moisture regime: A soil condition in
which a reducing environment always occurs due to the presence of ground water
at or near the soil s.urface.
Perenni al (plant): living for many years.
Periodically: Used herein to define detectable
regular or irregular saturated soil conditions or inundation, resulting from
ponding of groundwater, precipitation,
overland flow, stream flooding, or tidal
influences that occur(s) with hours, days,
weeks, months, or even years between
events.
Pe rmeability: A soil characteristic that enables water or air to move through the profile, measured as the number of inches per
hour that water moves downward through
the saturated soil. The rate at which water
moves through the least permeable layer
governs soil permeability.
Plant community: All of the "Iant populations occurring in a shared habitat or environment.
Pneumatophore: Modified roots that may
function as a respiratory organ in species
subjected to frequent inundation or soil
saturation (e.g., cypress knees ).
Pol ym orphic l eaves: Leaves of differing
shape on the same plant or in the same
species when grown under different environmental conditions.
Ponded: A condition in which water stands
in a closed depression. Water may be removed only by percolation, evaporation
and/or transpiration.
Poorly drained: Soils that commonly are wet
at or near the surface during a sufficient
part of the year that field crops cannot be
grown under natural conditions. Poorly
drained conditions are caused by a saturated zone, a layer with low hydraulic conductivity, seepage, or a combination of
these conditions.
82
Recharge (ground water): The replacement of
water (usually through precipitation) that
has been lost from an aquifer by evapo~
transpiration and / or percolation.
Redox potential: A measure of the tendency
of a system to donate or accept electrons,
which is governed by the nature and pro·
portions of the oxidizing and reducing sub·
stances contained in the system .
Reducing environm ent: An environm e nt
conducive to the removal o f oxygen and
chemical reduction of ions in the soils.
Resp iration : The sum total of metabolic processes associated with conversion of stored
(chemical) energy into kinetic (physical)
energy for use by an organism.
Rhizosphere: The zone of soil in which interactions between living plant roots and microorganisms occur.
Rhizome s: A roo t-like subterranean stem,
commonly horizontal in position, which
usually produces roots below and sends up
shoots above.
Run off: Rain water that flows over the
ground surface to streams.
Sap ling: A layer of vegetation composed of
woody plants 0.4 to 5 inches dbh and 20
f~et or taller, exclusive of climbing woody
vmes.
Saturated zone: A layer in the soil in which
all easily drained voids (pores) between
soil particles are temporarily or permanently filled with water.
Shore lands: Lands within the following d istances from the ordinary high-water mark
of naVigable waters: UX)() feet from a lake,
pond or flowage; and 300 feet from a river
or stream or to the landward side of the
flood plain, whichever distance is greater.
Shoreland-wetl and zoning district: A zoning
district, created as a part of a municipal
shore land zoning ordinance, comprised of
shorelands that are deSignated as wetlands
on the Wisconsin wetland inventory maps
prepared by the DNR.
Shrub: A layer of vegetation composed of
woody plants usually 3 to 20 feet tall, including multi-stemmed, bushy shrubs and
small trees and saplings, exclusive of
climbing vines.
Soil: Unconsolidated mineral and organic
material that supports, or is capable of supporting, plants and which has recognizable
properties due to the integrated effect of
climate and living matter acting upon parent material, as conditioned by relief over
time.
Soil horizon: A layer of sailor soil material
approximately parallel to the land surface
and differing from adjacent genetically rela ted layers in physical, chemical and biological properties or characteristics (e .g.
color, structure, texture, etc.).
So il matrix: The portion of a given soil having the dominant color. In most cases, the
matrix wilt be the portion of the soil having more than 50 percent of the same color.
Soil permeability: The ease with which gases,
liquids, or plant roots penetrate or pass
through a layer of soil.
Soil pore: An area within soil occupied by
either air or water, resulting from the arrangement of individual soil particles or
peds.
Soil profile: A vertical section of a soil showing all its horizons and extending into the
parent material.
Soil series: A group of soils having horizons
w ith similar characteristics and arrangements in the soil profile, except for tex ture
of the surface horizon.
Soil structure: : The combination or arrangement of p rimary soil particles into secondary particles, units o r peds.
So il surface: The upper limits of the soil profile. For mineral soils, this is the upper limit
of the highest (Al) mineral horizon. For
o rganic soils, it is the upper lim it of
undecomposed, dead organic matter.
Soil texture: The relative proportions of the
various sizes of particles in a soil.
Somewhat poorly d ra ined: Soils that are wet
near enough to the surface or long enough
that planting or harvesting operations or
crop growth is markedly restricted unless
artificial drainage is provided. Somewhat
poorly drained soils commonly have a
layer with low hydraulic conductivity, wet
conditions high in the profile, additions of
water through seepage, or a combination
of these cond itions.
83
Substrate: The base or substance on which an
attached species is growing.
Surface water: : Water present above the sub·
strate or soil surface.
Topography: The configuration of a surface,
including its relief and the position of its
natural and anthropogenic features.
Transect: As used herein, a line on the ground
along which observations are made at
some interval.
Transition zone: The area in which a change
from wetland to non-wetland occurs. The
transition zone may be narrow or broad.
Transpiration: The process in plants by which
water vapor is released into the gaseous
environment, primarily through stomata .
Tree: A layer of vegeta tion composed of
woody plants 5.0 inches in diameter or
larger at breast height, regardless of height
<exclusive of woody vines).
Upland: As used herein, any area that does
not qualify as a wetland because the asso·
ciated hydrologic regime is not sufficiently
wet to elicit development of vegetation,
soils and/or hydrologic characteristics as·
socia ted with wetlands. Such areas occurring within floodplains are more
appropriately termed non·wetlands.
Value (soil eolod: The relative lightness or
intensity of color, approximately a function
of the square root of the total amount of
light reflected from a surface; one of the
three variables of color.
Vegetation layer: A subunit of a plant com·
munify in which all component species ex·
hi bit the same grow th form (e .g., trees,
saplings, shrubs, herbs) .
Vegetatio n ·tension zone: A band between
two floristic provinces marked by the intermingling of species from both .
Very long duration: A duration class in which
the length of a single inundation event is
greater than 1 month .
Very poorly drained: Soils that are wet to the
surface most of the time. These soils are
wet enough to prevent the growth of im·
portan t crops (except rice) unless artifi·
cially drained.
Watermark: A line on a tree or other upright
structure that · represents the maximum
static water level reached during an inundation event.
Watershed: The area of land from which surface water drains to a single outlet.
Water table: The upper surface of groundwater or that level below which the soil is
saturated with water. It is at least 6 inches
thick and persists in the soil for more than
a few weeks.
Wetland: An area where water is at, near or
above the land surface long enough to be
capable of supporting aquatic or hydrophytic vegetation and which has soils indicative of wet conditions_
Wetland hydrology: Is present if water is at,
near or above the land surface long enough
to be capable of supporting aquatic or hy·
drophytic vegetation. For federal purposes,
more specific criteria are used to define
wetland hydrology.
Wetland vegetation: Any grouping of plant
species that recurs wherever certain hy·
drology and soil conditions occur.
Wetland soil: A soil that has characteristics
developed in a reducing atmosphere,
which exists when periods of prolonged
soil saturation result in anaerobic condi·
tions. Soils that are sufficiently wet to sup·
port hydrophytic vegetation are wetland
soils.
84
Appendix A
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85
Appendix B
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86
Appendix B
oo....y
FOR DNR USE
File copy
-----a~5e m~p
ch~"ged
changed
ca-I/oENT SHEET FOR PU8LIC REVIO! OF WETLAND MAPS
Norne of person COIM'I9ntlng _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Maps prepored under the
"usp 1ces of:
Mol L [ng Address _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
WISCO"5In Wetl!H1ds Invento!"'y
Dtfl, WZ/6
Phone nUll'lber where you CIUl be contocted during the dey
Munlclpollty where wetl ond 15
DIRECTIONS:
--locllted _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __
P.O. 80x 1921
Madi son , WI
53707
We need ell of tile loclltlon Infomlltlon below end your slgnllture 01' the botTom of the reverse
side before your comme~ con be consIdered.
111\ error, or for an omitted wetlllnd.
Locetron of wetJend T
R
FIr I out" seporete sheet for eoch
section number
-- - -
section number
==
Semple:
subscrlpt(s)
subscrlpt(s)
==
(use
~epped
sub~rrpt
wetlend you think hes
codes shown below)
Subscript Code:
En I ergement of
SectIon 24
Township 231'< R8nge 'E
, , • ,
, ,
a •
"
a , •
" " " " "
• "
"
" "
"
" " "
" "
"" " " " "
2
1
10
I
2
12
17
I
1
20
21
22
2.
28
27
10
I • NE 1/40ftheNE 1/'
1/4 of the NE 1/'
,2 .• '"
,,•..•
•
a•
1
SW 1/4 of
SE 1/4 0 1
NE 1/401
1/4 of
SW 1/4 of
SE 1/4 01
'"
'the NE 1/'
the NE 1/'
'the NW 1/'
the
'" 1/'
the NW 1/'
the NW 1/'
••
10
NE 1/4 of the
1/4 of the
SW 1/401 the
SE 1/4 01 the
NE 1/4 01 the
1/4 of the
SW 1/4 of the
SE 1/4 01 the
" ••• '"
" • '"
"16
12
14
'" 1/'
1/'
1/'
1/'
1/'
1/'
1/'
1/'
SW
SW
SW
SE
SE
SE
SE
14
12
ANSI!'ER ONLY noSE SECTIONS WHICH APPLY:
SECTION I.
Al I or Pllrt of
e
M!lpped Wet l"nd is NOT e We'tlend.
USING A Ga..OR£D PEN OR PE~IL. DRAW TI-£ MOUND THE AA.£A YOU THINK IS NOT WETtAND. Af.() WR I TE YOtR
INITIALS INSIDE IT. IF YOU THINK ONLY PART Of' THE NeA IS NOT WETl.AIi!},"CIRO..E ONLY THAT PART .
II·
b.
Wh6t Is the clllsslflclltion code snown on the m;:!p1
The wetl!!nds ware mepped using 1978-80 " Ir photos.
(e.g . ElK!!, T3i<,~) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ '
Check any chllnges which have been mede to this
"nte since 1978-80.
(nshlred new tlla drelns .
Yellr
Clellned out existing ditch.
Yellr
No chenges m!!de sInce 1978-80.
c.
___ Dug new ditch.
Are" w"s t I I led In .
other.
Yellr
Year
Expl"ln'-______~_________
OESCR I BE ,&,S COffl..ETEL Y ,&,S YOU CAN the I lind use of th [s lira!! I n the I est 7 yeers . I nc I ude the type
01 vegehtlon present, cropping hIstory. loggl~ . fillIng. dredging, lend creerlng. grllzlng. etc.
87
Appendix B
SECTION 2.
Wat! ~nd
Classification COda Is
In~cur&+e
USING A COLORED PEN OR PENCIL, CIRCLE THE INACCURATE CLASSIFICATION AND wRITE YOUR INITIALS NEXT TO IT.
II.
what Is the classification code shown on the m&p'
b.
Oescr-IOO the vegetlltlon lind IlInd use of the area.
(ex~ple:
EIKf, S3K, ~ ) __________________
Wet land Not Sho.n on the Map.
SECTION 3.
USING A C(LORED PEN OR PE~IL. DRAW THE WETL,&,fD ON THE PRELIMINAAY WJ' WHERE YOU THINK IT SHOIJLO GO, .&JIl)
WRITE YOUR INITIALS NEXT TO IT.
Daserlbe the veget/ltlon tlnd r"nd use of the wetlllnd:
.,.
,
ere y ce
,
, ,
°
° c,
,00
knowledge The above ans"ers /Ire true and
Just.
SlgntlTUre of person cCfM'lenf j 09
Date
'"
municipal
0'
Infonn~lon.
,
, "9
,
o pro'"
0'-
cont~
zoning officer.
PlE.0.5E RETURN THIS
COWf:~
CITY OR VILLAGE C1.£RK .
For DNR Use , Please do Not Write Below This Line
,~
I f you nllve questions,
your
SHEET TO TI-£ OFFlC£ OF
""
"'"
arlef Description of the "re~ In q\iestlon (vegettltlon,
wetltlnd c!~ssrf!catron, ditches, etc.) tiS !t tlppetlrs on
the tler!tI! photo, lind how the me p should be chenged.
_________ Corment Rev!ewed by
______
D~te
Reviewed
_________ M r Photo Ollte
YES
~o
'"
AVAIL~£
Marsh symbols on 7 1/2' USGS topographIc mep?
Mllp "_Is) ___________________________
Dehlled soIl survey ~vllll"ble? Dr~ln"ge cl"ss(es) of soils in wet!"nd :
___very poor I y __POOl'" IY
sO'llewh"t poor Iy ___moder~te Iy well-excess Ivel y well
N_s of soil serles:_______________________________________________________________
Sw~p
or M"rsh on Bordner Survey?
B",_______
F' i e Id Checked
Shown "s Wetl ll nd-othe r Source
''''"'''''
CONTACT
CONTACT
"IT
I.
2.
PERSON
CO~TACTED
"'''
ST 1<FF'
Ch"nge M"de to Mep ~s Requested
"I Requested by gener~1 pub!!c
b) Requested by ONR personnel
F'IElD CHECK
"'01
OOCUME NT ATIO~
Correctly Mllpped for
Conditions.
II } CI"sslflc~tlon 01 weTI"nd n~s ch~nged;
no chllnge mllde to reviewed mllp. Comment
f iled for future upd"te of Inventory.
b) Are" Is e wetl"nd "ccordlng to No.
of · the operlltlonlll de fi nit ion.
------c) Are" does not meet de f ini tion of wetland.
5.
L"nd IIltered since d"te of photogr"phy;
llrell no longer wetlllnd; fie ld verifIed.
Pllrtl,,1 Ch~nge M<!Ide to Map
WetlMd boundllry changed
Clesslflclltlon chllnged
Comment C"nnot Be Processed
"I
Insufficient Informlltlon provided
b) M~p w"s IIpparently misinterpreted
cl Comment does not pertllin to mllp
"c<:ur<!ICY
_______________
4.
"I
bl
3.
D~e :'
Nllm6 of SOurce;'________________________
This publication was produced
through the inter-agency efforts of the
Wisconsin Department of Administration
and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
PU BL-WZ-029-94