Fact Sheet: Methods for Evaluating Wetland Condition
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency |
Office of Water
4304 |
EPA-822-F-01-008
December 2001 |
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Wetland Module Series: Methods for Evaluating
Wetland Condition
Summary
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is publishing
a series of modules, collectively titled "Methods for Evaluating
Wetland Condition," to help states and tribes build their
capacity to monitor and assess the biological and nutrient
conditions of wetlands. Few states monitor wetland health
or have fully incorporated wetlands into their water quality
programs. These modules will provide information to state
and tribal water quality managers on how to conduct ecological
assessments of wetland health. The modules focus on biological
and nutrient assessment techniques and can be used for the
development of biological and nutrient criteria for wetlands.
These modules also will serve as a basis for developing
future EPA guidance for wetlands water quality.
Background
Wetlands are waters of the U.S. according to the Clean
Water Act (CWA) and are included in state and tribal water
quality standards as "waters of the State," although few
states or tribes routinely monitor them. In the 1998 Water
Quality Report to Congress, states and tribes cumulatively
reported on the designated use support of 4% of the Nation's
wetlands; only three states reported using wetland monitoring
data as a basis for determining attainment of water quality
standards.
Few states or tribes have fully incorporated wetlands into
their water quality programs, and even fewer have developed
designated uses and criteria specifically for wetlands.
As a result, many designated uses and criteria applied to
wetlands are not ecologically appropriate. Currently, 10
states and tribes are working on biological assessment methods
at some level; most states/tribes have not yet focused on
wetland nutrient assessments. States and tribes want to
monitor wetlands. However, they do not have the resources
or knowledge base to effectively monitor and assess wetland
systems.
Why is EPA publishing these wetland modules?
EPA is publishing these modules to help states and tribes
and others who want to build their capacity to monitor wetland
systems. EPA also intends to use this material to develop
more detailed guidance on these topics.
What are wetland biological assessments?
Wetland biological assessments are an evaluation of the
biological condition of a wetland. They are based on surveys
of the diversity, composition, and functional organization
of the community of resident wetland biota (e.g., macroinvertebrates,
plants, amphibians, birds, amphibians, algae). Bioassessments
often include the collection of some physical and chemical
data.
Why do biological assessments?
Biological assessments are a powerful tool for evaluating
the health of wetlands. The information they provide can
lead to the development of biological criteria and ecologically-based
designated uses for wetlands. In addition, biological assessments
can be used to help evaluate the performance of restoration,
best management practices (e.g., buffer strips), and other
conservation actions.
How do we assess the effects of nutrients on wetlands?
The effects of nutrients on a wetland are assessed using
ecological and biogeochemical parameters including landscape
characterization, nutrient load estimation, hydrology, and
analyses of soil, algae, vegetation, and water quality.
Why assess nutrient effects?
States and tribes identified excessive nutrient enrichment
as one of the leading sources of water quality degradation
in the U.S. The 1998 National Strategy for the Development
of Regional Nutrient Criteria describes EPA's approach in
developing nutrient criteria for all waterbody types including
wetlands. The effects of nutrient enrichment on most wetlands
are largely undocumented. Increased monitoring by states
and tribes will help define nutrient effects and will provide
data for developing wetland nutrient criteria.
What topics do the modules address?
The modules being released include: an introductory, administrative,
and study design modules, and modules that provide guidance
on the following topics: wetland plants, macroinvertebrates,
algae, amphibians, birds, nutrient enrichment, classification,
land-use characterization and volunteer monitoring. Additional
modules will be added to this series. Biological and nutrient
wetland assessments are relatively young fields experiencing
rapid development, and this series of modules will serve
to document the accumulating body of information. You can
find a list of the modules available at the web site given
below.
Who wrote them?
Government, private and academic members of the EPA Wetland
Nutrient Criteria and the Biological Assessment of Wetlands
Workgroups wrote these modules under the guidance of the
EPA's Office of Science and Technology and Office of Wetlands,
Oceans and Watersheds. All modules were reviewed by external
experts.
How do I get copies of these modules?
You can get copies of the "Methods for Evaluating Wetland
Condition" modules from the EPA National Service Center
for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) by phone at (513)
489-8190 or toll-free (800) 490-9198, or by e-mail to:[email protected].
To get them by conventional mail, write to NSCEP at 11029
Kenwood Road, Cincinnati, OH 45242. You can also find the
document at these Internet addresses:
http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/nutrient.html.
http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/bawwg/.
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