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Since many wetlands are dry for much of the year, the use of hydrology as a regulatory determinate to establish jurisdictional wetlands has come under fire from soil scientists and environmentalists alike. In theory, an area must be inundated for two weeks during the growing season for it to be considered a wetland from hydrological perspective. This obviously can be difficult to prove in many cases, so alternative field indicators are allowed. These include:
- visual observation of inundation
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- visual observation of soil saturation
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- watermarks (stains on bark or other fixed objects)
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- waterborne debris deposition, particularly in aboveground vegetation
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- waterborne sediment deposits on plants and other vertical objects
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- drainage patterns within wetlands, including scouring
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- water stained (blackened or grey) leaves
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