Sprawl
Transportation Issues
Roundabouts
Ecosystems
Wetlands Reference Center
Eco-Friendly Lawn Care
Zoning and Land Use
Laws You Should Know
Planning Concepts
Water Resources
Resources and Contacts
Local Topics
 
Bucks
 
Chester
 
Delaware
 
Lancaster
 
Lehigh
 
Montgomery
Statewide Issues
PaLUC News & Info
 
 

 

Wetlands Hydrology

 

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
  • visual observation of soil saturation
  • watermarks (stains on bark or other fixed objects)
  • waterborne debris deposition, particularly in aboveground vegetation
  • waterborne sediment deposits on plants and other vertical objects
  • drainage patterns within wetlands, including scouring
  • water stained (blackened or grey) leaves