Wetland FAQ's:

What is a wetland?

As per the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Federal Manual for Identifying and Delineating Jurisdictional Wetlands, the official definition of a wetland is: “Those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support and under normal conditions do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, fens, and similar areas.

Importance of Wetlands?

As noted within the USEPA Environmental Overview, though wetlands are best known for being home to turtles, frogs, snakes, and water lilies, they also provide important habitat for waterfowl, fish, and mammals. Migrating birds use wetlands to rest and feed during their cross-continental journeys and as nesting sites when they are home. Wetlands do more than provide habitat for plants and animals. They also aid in absorption of floodwaters and in absorption of excess nutrients, sediment, and other pollutants before they reach rivers, lakes, and other water bodies. They are great spots for fishing, canoeing, hiking, and bird-watching, and they make wonderful classrooms for people of all ages.

What constitutes a wetland?

An area is clearly a wetland if it exhibits each
of the following characteristics:

• The presence of hydric soils or soils which exhibit greater than 50%
   hydric characteristics.
• The predominance of hydrophytic vegetation.
• A hydrologic regime indicating the area is periodically inundated or
   has soils which are saturated for long enough duration during the
   growing season.
  

Who should be concerned about wetlands?

Anybody who is planning on developing a parcel of land should have a Wetland Assessment conducted during the early planning stages. It is highly recommended that prospective property owners should have a wetland evaluation conducted prior to purchase to be aware of any wetland encroachment issues that may arise down the road.

Under the Clean Water Act, current regulations prohibit the filling or degradation of freshwater wetlands without permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and/or the State environmental agency (i.e. PA Department of Environmental Protection). In addition, some state and/or local agencies may also restrict development within designated buffer areas. If not properly planned, these regulations have the potential of slowing down construction timetables.

Summit Environmental Consulting, LLC can offer full environmental services for residential and commercial properties regarding all aspects of wetland identification, encroachment permitting and mitigation design.