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5. Protect Wetlands

Protect Wetlands Locally

Local governments play a key role in filling the gaps in wetland protection, because they have primary responsibility for local land use management. Local action is particularly critical in states that do not have comprehensive wetland protection programs. Protect Wetlands Using Regulatory or Voluntary Measures provides a review of regulatory and non-regulatory options for local governments. Ideally, a combination of approaches will be used.

Managing wetlands at the watershed scale can help minimize indirect impacts to wetlands. Direct impacts to wetlands include the removal or addition of material such as dredging, filling, or draining that are largely regulated through the federal and state wetland permitting process. Indirect impacts such as altered hydrology, increased pollutant loadings, and buffer encroachment caused by urbanization are summarized in Wetlands & Watersheds Article 1. Using a watershed approach allows communities to make better choices about preserving the highest quality wetlands, protecting the most vulnerable wetlands, and finding the best sites for wetland restoration. Wetlands & Watersheds Article 2 provides detailed information on using local watershed plans to protect wetlands.

Digitize

The process of converting features on a paper map into digital format using a trace methodology, which results in the creation of a spatial dataset.

Ecotone

A transition area between two adjacent, but different plant communities.

Indirect Wetland Impacts

Impact to wetlands caused by inputs of stormwater and pollutants generated by land development or other activities within the wetland CDA.

Direct Wetland Impacts

Wetland loss or degradation resulting from activities that occur within wetlands, such as dredging, filling and draining. Activities that cause direct impacts are largely regulated through the federal and state wetland permitting process.

Stormwater Treatment Practices

A structural or non-structural practice designed to temporarily store or treat stormwater runoff in order to mitigate flooding, reduce pollution, and provide other amenities (also called a Best Management Practice – BMP).

Hydrogeomorphic

Factors that influence how wetlands function, including geomorphic setting, water source, and hydrodynamics.

Hydrogeomorphic

Factors that influence how wetlands function, including geomorphic setting, water source, and hydrodynamics.

Sinks

A cell or set of spatially connected cells that cannot be assigned flow direction in a raster elevation dataset. This can occur when all neighboring cells are higher than the processing cell or when two cells flow into one another. Sinks can indicate areas where water is likely to pond, but can also be an error in the dataset.

Facultative Wetland Plants

Species that usually occur in wetlands (approximately 67% - 99% probability), but also occur in non-wetland areas (approximately 1% - 33% probability).

Obligate Wetland Plants

Species that occur almost always in wetlands under natural conditions (greater than 99% probability), but which may also occur rarely in non-wetlands (less than 1% probability).

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IFSAR)

A radar technique that uses two or more synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images to generate surface elevation using differences in the phase of waves returning to the satellite or aircraft.

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IFSAR)

A radar technique that uses two or more synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images to generate surface elevation using differences in the phase of waves returning to the satellite or aircraft.

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)

A remote sensing technique that measures properties of pulsed laser light reflected from objects to determine their position, velocity, and other information.

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)

A remote sensing technique that measures properties of pulsed laser light reflected from objects to determine their position, velocity, and other information.

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)

A remote sensing technique that measures properties of pulsed laser light reflected from objects to determine their position, velocity, and other information.

Digital Elevation Model (DEM)

A digital file consisting of terrain elevations for ground positions at regularly spaced horizontal intervals.

Digital Elevation Model (DEM)

A digital file consisting of terrain elevations for ground positions at regularly spaced horizontal intervals.

Hyperspectral Data

Information collected and processed from across the electromagnetic spectrum. Spectral signatures (unique “fingerprint” left by specific objects) enable identification of materials that make up a scanned object.

Remote Sensing

Gathering and recording information about objects without actual contact through the use of such techniques as photography, infra-red imagery, and radar.

Hydrophytes

A plant that grows wholly or partially submerged in water.

Blackspots

Areas on aerial photos that show up as dark blue, dark grey, or black and are indicative of saturated soil conditions.

Stereoscopic

The ability to see three dimensionally by using two views of a single object from slightly different positions typically through the use of an optical aid known as a stereoscope.

Hydric Soils

Soils that are saturated, flooded, or ponded for a long enough period during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper soil horizons.

Hydric Soils

Soils that are saturated, flooded, or ponded for a long enough period during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper soil horizons.

Hydric Soils

Soils that are saturated, flooded, or ponded for a long enough period during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper soil horizons.

Hydric Soils

Soils that are saturated, flooded, or ponded for a long enough period during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper soil horizons.

Hydric Soils

Soils that are saturated, flooded, or ponded for a long enough period during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper soil horizons.

Hydric Soils

Soils that are saturated, flooded, or ponded for a long enough period during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper soil horizons.

Hydric Soils

Soils that are saturated, flooded, or ponded for a long enough period during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper soil horizons.

Hydric Soils

Soils that are saturated, flooded, or ponded for a long enough period during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper soil horizons.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

A system that integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

A system that integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information.

Digitize

The process of converting features on a paper map into digital format using a trace methodology, which results in the creation of a spatial dataset.

Minimum Mapping Unit

The minimum size or dimensions for features to be mapped as lines or areas for a given map scale.