Wetland Resources Guide

Wetlands are areas where the land is covered by shallow water or the soil is saturated to near the surface for at least two weeks during the growing season. Some common names for different types of wetlands are swamp, marsh, and bog.

What is a Wetland?

Wetlands are defined based on their hydrology, soils, and plants. The U.S. EPA defines wetlands as “those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater 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 soil conditions. Wetlands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas.”

Why Should We Value Wetlands?

Wetlands improve water quality, protect against floods and droughts, provide important wildlife habitat, and contribute to the resilience and biodiversity of West Virginia’s natural environment.

About Wetlands

Wetlands come in a variety of sizes and types and can be found all over the state of West Virginia. View these resources to learn more about wetlands and why they are important.

Wetland Map Resources

Listed here are links to wetland mapping applications. Find a wetland near you!

• Watershed Resources Registry for West Virginia (WRR)

  This mapping tool helps to locate and prioritize areas suitable for wetland and stream restoration.

• WVDEP Data Viewer

  This application provides the functional scores and locations of all mapped WV wetlands. Note that many forested and smaller wetlands (i.e. vernal pools) have not yet been mapped.

• National Wetland Inventory

  The US Fish and Wildlife Service site provides the locations of mapped wetlands throughout the US.

• Mapping West Virginia's Wetlands

  A colorful story map about how wetland maps are made and used in West Virginia.

How Wetlands Manage Water

How Wetlands Work

Flooding and Sediment Reduction

Wetlands & Water Quality

Flora

Wetland plants are specially adapted to live in wet, low-oxygen environments. From magnificent pin oak swamps to colorful meadows of swamp milkweed and sedges, wetlands are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world - comparable to rain forests and coral reefs.

Learn More About Wetland Flora

• Guide to Common Wetland Plants of West Virginia

  Learn to identify the 100 most common wetland plants of our mountain state.

• Guide to Common Wetland Plants of West Virginia (Book Sized)

  Guide to Common Wetland Plants of West Virginia, formatted for color 2-sided printing. After printing cut the sheets in half, collate and staple/bind.

• U.S. Department of Agriculture: Plant Database

  The PLANTS Database provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories.

• WV Wetland and Riparian Flora

  This resource provides an introduction to wetland and riparian flora found in this region.

• Cattail (Typha) Invasion in North American Wetlands

  When cattail takes hold, it forms a dense monoculture that excludes almost all native flora and fauna.

Fauna

Wetlands can be thought of as "biological supermarkets." They provide large volumes of food that attract wildlife, and are a great place to view birds, butterflies, dragonflies, frogs, salamanders and small mammals.

Learn More About Wetland Fauna

• West Virginia Vernal Pools

  iNaturalist provides observations of vernal pools. Add your own photos of frog and salamander eggs.

• Wetlands as Bird Habitat

  Discover how wetlands are important to birds.

• Protecting Wetlands for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation

  Learn how wetlands provide key habitat for amphibians and reptiles.

• Wetland Mammals: Fish and Wildlife Habitat Management Leaflet

  Wetlands provide a diversity of productive habitats for mammals, birds and other wildlife.

• Dragonflies -The Hawks of the Insect World

  Dragonflies are an important environmental indicator. Today, there are more than 5,000 different species of dragonflies and they can be found on every continent except Antarctica.

• Wetland Birds of the West Virginia Botanic Garden

  A guide to the birds of The West Virginia Botanic Garden at Tibbs Run Preserve located in Monongalia County, WV.

Environment

Wetlands occur all over West Virginia, from boggy headwaters on the tops of our mountains to the low floodplains of the Potomac and Ohio Rivers. Wetland soils reflect the particular hydrology of each wetland type.

Learn More About Wetland Environments

• Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States

  Wetlands and deepwater habitats are essential breeding, rearing, and feeding grounds for many species of fish and wildlife .

• A Guide for Identifying and Delineating Hydric Soils

  Field Indicators of Hydric Soils in the United States is a guide to help identify and delineate hydric soils in the field.

• Wetland Soils: Genesis, Hydrology, Landscapes, and Classification

  Book by Michael Vapraskas and Christopher Craft, published in 2016, which helps anyone dealing with wetlands to understand the properties and functions of the soils found in and around wetlands.

• Wetland Functions and Values: Hydrology

  This video teaches about the importance of wetlands in the water cycle and how they assist with recharging groundwater and assuring clean water.

As a landowner with wetlands on your property, there is an opportunity to care for your land and surrounding landscape. View the links for information on how to identify, take best care of, and achieve your goals within your wetland.

• Wetlands Work - A Guide for Agricultural Landowners

  Find funding sources and planners to help with your agricultural wetland questions. Although this site is focused on the Chesapeake Bay counties of West Virginia, the planning and funding resources apply to the whole state.

• U.S. Army Corp of Engineers: Wetlands Delineation Manual

  The purpose of this manual is to provide users with guidelines and methods to determine whether an area is a wetland for purposes of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.

• Managing Your Restored Wetland

  Penn State Extension guide for landowners describing where wetland restoration is possible and how it is done. It covers basic wetland concepts, ecological concepts and terms, wetland restoration, and maintenance.

• Landowner's Guide to Improving Vernal Pool Habitat

  Fact sheet by the Upper Susquehanna Coalition describing ways for landowners to improve vernal pool habitats on their properties.

• Vernal Pools

  Vernal pools are seasonal depressional wetlands that occur under the Mediterranean climate conditions of the West Coast and in glaciated areas of northeastern and midwestern states.. Learn more from the US EPA.

• Wetlands: A Home for Wildlife

  This video, producted by the Wisconsin Wetlands Association, describes a successful wetland restoration project story.

Outreach is one of the most important parts of protecting our wetlands. Increased knowledge leads to better decision making, especially when talking about the environment. View the links below for education resources to make outreach more effective.

• Project WET: Education Materials for Teachers

  Advancing water education to understand global challenges and inspire local solutions.

• Project Learning Tree: Watch on Wetlands

  Resources to engage middle school students as they explore wetlands and learn about why they are important.

• Ducks Unlimited: Wetland Education Resources

  Offering youth the opportunity to learn about wetland conservation and the outdoor world around them.

• Environmental Concern: Wetland Education and Outreach

  Environmental Concern’s (EC) Education Division works to increase understanding of, foster appreciation for, and encourage the stewardship of wetland systems.

• Wetland Quiz

  Test your students' knowledge of wetlands with this online quiz.

• WV Master Naturalist Program: Wetland Class Outline

  Explores the definitions and types of wetlands that are found in West Virginia and discusses their values and needed protection.

• Outreach Materials for World Wetlands Day

  World Wetlands Day is celebrated each year on 2 February to raise awareness about wetlands. This day also marks the anniversary of the Convention on Wetlands, which was adopted as an international treaty in 1971.

• Wetlands Decontamination Steps

  It's important to decontaminate all your equipment and tools used at a wetland site to help prevent the spread of disease and invasive plants between wetlands. Just follow these four easy steps to help keep our West Virginia wetlands healthy.