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Written on: May 17th, 2021 in Education and Outreach
By Olivia McDonald, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program
Happy American Wetlands Month!
During the month of May we celebrate the incredible importance of wetlands to the environment and humans alike. Wetlands are ranked as one of Earth’s most productive ecosystems, supporting an incredible amount of biodiversity, and are considered a nature-based solution to climate change. These ecosystems even play a vital role in our country’s economic and social health. Wetlands can be found all across the United States and can include marshes, swamps, deltas, mangroves, and floodplains, just to name a few. On a more local scale, almost anywhere you stand in Delaware puts you within one mile of a wetland. The future of our First State and its natural resources depend on the functionality and benefits wetlands provide. Listed in this blog post are reasons for the importance of better understanding and protecting these ecosystems in our community; 5 reasons to love wetlands.
1. Wetlands improve water and air quality
You can think of a wetland much like a human’s kidney, trapping and filtering pollutants before they reach a destination. Without wetlands, hazardous chemicals and harmful nutrients could enter ecosystems such as bays, rivers, and beaches regularly without any filtration or barrier. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Response and Restoration, wetlands absorb 8.1 million tons of carbon dioxide each year from the atmosphere. Here in Delaware, clean water and air play a major role in ecotourism, as well as our everyday lives.
2. Wetlands support species biodiversity
The term biodiversity simply put means all the different types of life you’ll find in one area. The greater variety in a species or ecosystem, the better natural sustainability that area will have. Wetlands habitats have aquatic plants, wetland soils, and evidence of water at or near the surface, including during the growing season. With those environmental factors comes more variety of species, complex food chains, and unique plants. In turn, wetlands then provide shelter, food, breeding ground, and water for a wide diversity of flora and fauna.
3. Wetlands protect the coast and communities
Wetlands act like sponges and hold very large amounts of water over large areas. During storm events, these ecosystems capture rain and flood waters slowing movement to later release the water downstream. Wetlands also act as erosion control by stabilizing shorelines and preventing the movement of sediment. According to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) a one-acre wetland can store 330,000 gallons of water to a depth of one foot. Protection like that against coastal flooding and erosion in Delaware critically protects our homes and property.
4. Wetlands support the economy
Whether it’s commercial seafood harvest, or recreational fishing, coastal wetlands provide habitat that create financial benefits. At WMAP we estimated that 85-95 percent of our recreationally or commercially important coastal fisheries rely on tidal wetlands as a place to shelter and grow young. Hundreds of thousands of jobs depend on these valuable ecosystems for economic stimulation. In Delaware, these wetland areas draw locals and tourists alike to contribute to a multi-million dollar outdoor economy.
5. Wetlands are good for us
We’re lucky enough to live in a time where natural beauty is never too far away. Wetland habitats are intricate landscapes, with an abundance of plants and animals, that can be in our backyard or down the street. More time outdoors in natural environments means better health and well-being. Get outside and see your local wetland. Discover for yourself all the reasons why these ecosystems are immensely special to wildlife, our communities, and our individual understanding of the world around us.
Written on: May 17th, 2021 in Wetland Assessments
By Erin Dorset, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring amd Assessment Program
Here at the Wetland Monitoring & Assessment Program (WMAP), most fieldwork is done in the Delaware Bay and Inland Bays drainage basins, where waters move east to the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. But, in 2018, WMAP had the opportunity to perform wetland assessments in a different part of Delaware, where waters drain west instead of east in the Chester-Choptank watershed. After a very buggy summer of field assessments and a couple years of data entry, analysis, and writing, WMAP is excited to share these new wetland condition results!
The Chester-Choptank Watershed
The Chester-Choptank watershed is in western Delaware and is part of the Chesapeake Bay drainage basin. The watershed continues out of Delaware west into Maryland. It is a headwater region, meaning that many streams begin here and eventually combine with other streams to funnel water west into the Chesapeake. The watershed is dominated by agriculture, wetlands, and upland forest.
WMAP visited and graded a random sample of 76 non-tidal wetland sites. All of these wetlands were one of three main types: flats, riverine wetlands, or depressions. Just as in other watersheds, WMAP used a rapid assessment method called DERAP (Delaware Rapid Assessment Procedure) to evaluate wetland health at all sites.
Based on that data, flat wetlands received a condition grade of B. Riverine wetlands received a B, and depressions got a B+. The overall Chester-Choptank watershed received a wetland condition letter grade of B, meaning that the watershed was doing moderately well in terms of wetland health. Compared with 10 other previously assessed watersheds, the Chester-Choptank fell right in the middle, with many of its wetlands being considered moderately stressed.
Buffer Blues
The most prevalent problems in the Chester-Choptank watershed weren’t necessarily found within wetlands but were instead often found surrounding wetlands. These problems are called buffer stressors. WMAP identified agriculture, development, roads, mowing, and channelized streams or ditches as buffer stressors that frequently occurred in the landscapes directly surrounding wetlands. Buffer stressors increase the risk of polluted runoff entering nearby wetlands, and they reduce habitat quality for wildlife.
Though buffer stressors were the most common, some other types of problems were found within the wetlands themselves. For example, invasive plant species were often present in riverine wetlands, which can crowd out native species and decrease habitat quality. Selective cut tree harvesting was a common habitat stressor in flat wetlands. Although selective cutting is not as damaging as clear-cutting trees, it can still negatively affect wetland habitat quality.
In addition, ditching was a common hydrology stressor in flats. Microtopographic alterations, such as skidder tracks from timbering vehicles and equipment, were also common hydrology stressors in flat and depression wetlands. Hydrology stressors like these can change the natural flow of water through a wetland such that plant communities, soil moisture, and groundwater levels may be negatively impacted.
Human Impacts Drive Acreage Trends
In addition to performing field assessments, WMAP used mapping data and software to explore wetland acreage trends in the Chester-Choptank watershed over time. It is estimated that the watershed lost about 39% of its historic wetland acreage by 2007 since early human settlement. Most of these losses were attributed to human development.
WMAP noticed that in recent years between 1992 and 2007, this pattern also held true, where most wetland losses were because of the construction of rural homes and housing developments. Agriculture was also a significant source of wetland loss. Most wetlands lost between 1992 and 2007 (71% of losses) were natural flats, and many natural depressions were also destroyed (23% of losses). These findings highlight the fact that most wetland losses in this watershed have been caused by direct human impacts.
Within that same 15-year time frame, some wetlands were also gained. However, most gained wetlands were ponds that were associated with human development or agriculture. Such ponds lack plants and do not resemble natural wetlands, meaning that their ability to perform beneficial wetland functions is limited. While it’s important to increase wetland acreage, it is also crucial that constructed and restored wetlands resemble natural wetlands as much as possible.
Working Together to Help Wetlands
Over half of the wetlands in the Chester-Choptank watershed were on privately-owned land. That means that private landowners can play a big role in improving the condition of wetlands in this watershed! Here are some simple ways that you can help:
Together, natural resource agencies and landowners can conserve wetland acreage and improve wetland condition in the Chester-Choptank watershed.
Want to know more about Delaware’s watersheds? Check out our web page that details the most current information about the health of wetlands on a watershed level!
You can also view and download all of our data on non-tidal wetlands, including the Chester-Choptank watershed, here.
Written on: March 22nd, 2021 in Living Shorelines
By Kenny Smith, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program
When discussing living shorelines, you might not think the hardest and most unclear part would be getting your permits to accomplish this work. The permit process is sometimes difficult to navigate and can be confusing to someone not immersed in the environmental field. We decided to reach out to DNREC’s Wetlands and Subaqueous Land Section (WSLS) to answer some questions to clear up the confusion and better understand the process.
With these questions and answers I hope we have helped ease the confusion and provided some insight into the common questions relating to permits of living shorelines. This will not answer all of your questions, but DNREC is here – always reach out to the resources to get any clarification.
Written on: March 22nd, 2021 in Wetland Assessments
By Alison Rogerson, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program
What is a state wetland program plan?
Delaware creates five-year wetland program plans to serve as a guide that identifies and prioritizes areas where information or action is needed to advance wetland management statewide. It is created using the goals of many different wetland players across the state.
We use action plans, strategies, and communications with many conservation partners to drive the action items in each five-year plan. The 2021 plan follows similar versions from 2010 to 2016.
What kind of wetland work does the plan include?
We have seen seven focused goals in each wetland program plan; mapping, monitoring, climate change, restoration, collaboration, education, and regulation. These goals line up nicely with wetland priorities listed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This alignment makes it easier for an organization or agency proposing projects or applying for funding assistance to receive support.
How do we measure past success?
The 2016-2020 Wetland Program Plan included 45 action items (under the same seven goals) and were derived from state needs in 2015. By the close of 2020, 30 of those actions items were either complete or in progress. Some action items are finite and can be checked off. Others are constantly evolving and will never really be “done” but we continue to make progress.
Looking back at the strengths and weaknesses of the Delaware wetland program between 2016 and 2020, we made strong advancements in mapping, monitoring, climate change, and education but left “points on the table” when it came to restoration and regulations. Delaware still lacks a freshwater wetland conservation program and there are opportunities to protect Delaware’s rarest and unique wetlands on a state and county level.
What’s new in the 2021 Program Plan?
Our main goal to increase the amount of wetlands we have and improve the health and function of wetlands across the state has not changed. We are always looking to find the best mapping resources available, use the best science to rate our wetland function, and push ourselves to educate and communicate better. Climate change continues to be a priority as we witness coastal wetland erosion and inland flooding.
New in this version is the need to clearly identify and secure coastal areas where critical wetland migration is likely to occur with sea level rise. Also, establishing a program that encourages wetland mitigation through a banking system that saves up to pay for large restoration projects. Lastly, making sure that we are reaching underserved communities with events and information.
The updated Delaware Wetland Program Plan will hopefully serve us for the next five years as we continue to improve and strengthen Delaware’s wetland conservation and management programs.
Written on: March 22nd, 2021 in Wetland Restoration
By Ezra Kottler, The George Washington University
All over the world, sea-level rise is driving changes in natural habitats. Greenhouse gas emissions have brought about the warming of oceans and melting of glaciers such that global mean sea level is increasing over time and the rate at which it increases is getting steeper and steeper 1. The Mid-Atlantic region is a particular “hot spot” for sea-level rise because of additional local conditions that include:
Due to the fact that the coastal Mid-Atlantic is flat and close to sea-level, a few inches of increased water can significantly increase the frequency of flooding from hurricanes and tropical storms. Not to be forgotten, another major outcome of sea-level rise is large scale habitat changes through marsh migration.
How can habitat migrate?
When we say marsh migration, it means something a bit different than animal migrations like monarch butterflies or blue whales. Marsh migration is a process of non-wetland coastal plants, like pine trees, dying due to storms and saline soils at the marsh boarder, then marsh plants growing in their place. This is a natural process that has always taken place a bit at a time, but in recent decades it has begun to speed up with sea-level rise. The ghost forests of dead pine trunks show the impacts of climate change here and now in our region 3, but marsh migration also provides hope. Marsh migration can actually help counteract the loss of marsh habitat that is drowning with higher sea levels, thus preserving important ecosystem services.
Our lab is studying what changes are happening at the moving border between marsh and the pine forest habitat. A major part of my graduate study research is looking for changes to the growth and success of salt marsh hay (Spartina patens), a native marsh grass, as it migrates into coastal forests. Salt marsh hay is a foundation species, meaning it creates physical conditions that allow other organisms to survive under the harsh conditions, like hot and humid salt marshes. Its presence on the landscape reduces water loss under the hot summer sun, provides food and hunting grounds for a diversity of animals, and critically, serves as the only suitable nesting habitat for many native and endangered shorebirds 4. But as salt marsh hay starts growing in the forest understory, and is released from the stress of sun and salt, the species faces a new challenge. With little to no light at times during the seasons in the forest understory, salt marsh hay has difficulty getting enough light to do the photosynthesis needed to keep food (in this case glucose) on the table.
For the past few years I have carried out a series of experiments growing salt marsh hay in different environmental conditions. When grown under the limited light conditions of canopy, salt marsh hay grows longer stems and wider leaves to maximize how much surface area it can use for photosynthesis. This is similar to what happens to lettuce and other garden greens when you grow them under a shade cloth. At the same time, salt marsh hay makes fewer roots and stems, and is unable to flower when shaded by the pine tree canopy. This might be a problem for shaded salt marsh hay populations, as they must rely on growing new stems to expand their distribution, and cannot produce seeds.
But there is also reason for hope: salt marsh hay seems to be very flexible in its responses to the environment. When individuals from the forest were grown in the marsh, they rapidly grew more stems and roots, growing more robust. Our management decisions in these transitional coastal areas can help facilitate the migration of native marsh species over invasive species. By making the best management practices for our ecosystems, we can enjoy the beauty and benefits of marshes for generations to come.
References
1 Nicholls, R.J., Cazenave, A., 2010. Sea-Level Rise and Its Impact on Coastal Zonea. Science 318, 1517-1520. https://doi.org/10.1126/science,1185782
2 Piecuch, C.G., Huybers, P., Hay, C.C., Kemp, A.C., Little, C.M., Mitrovica, J.X., Ponter, R.M., Tingley, M.P., 2018. Origin of spatial variation in US East Coast sea-level trends during 1900-2017. Nature 564, 400-404. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-018-0787-6
3 Gedan, K. (2021, March 16). Ghosts of the Coast. Retrieved from https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/12863715c76a40d8928e467845801b03
4 Wilson, M.D., Watts, B.D., Brinker, D.F., 2007. Status Review of Chesapeake Bay Marsh Lands and Breeding Marsh Birds. Waterbirds 30, 122-137. https://doi.org/10.1675/1542-4695(2007)030[0122:SROCBM]2.0CO;2
Written on: March 22nd, 2021 in Wetland Assessments
By Erin Dorset, DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program
Back in December, WMAP introduced you to DNREC’s new 2017 wetlands maps. Since then, WMAP has been hard at work finalizing a report detailing the status and trends of wetlands throughout the State of Delaware. Soon, the entire report will be available, but in the meantime, here is a sneak preview!
Tracking Acreage to Shape Wetland Management
In recent years, significant wetland losses have been documented in Delaware, as have been shown in wetland status and trends reports from 1981-1992 and 1992-2007. It is vitally important to track wetland acreage over time to see where in Delaware these losses are occurring and why they have been happening. This way management recommendations can be targeted to specific areas, wetland types, and issues to be most effective. Right now, WMAP is using DNREC’s brand new state wetland maps that are based on 2017 aerial imagery to analyze current wetland acreage status and trends since the last mapping effort in 2007.
Wetland Acreage Status: 2017
According to DNREC’s new 2017 wetland maps, there are 296,351 acres of wetlands in Delaware. Most wetlands (44%) are part of the Delaware Bay drainage basin, meaning that water that is flowing through those wetlands eventually ends up draining east to Delaware Bay. There are also many wetlands in the Chesapeake Bay basin in western Delaware (34%) and the Inland Bays basin in southern Delaware (20%). Far fewer wetlands exist in the Piedmont drainage basin in northern Delaware (2%). Almost half of all wetlands (48%) in Delaware are in Sussex County, followed by Kent County (37%), and New Castle County (15%).
Wetland Types
Nearly a quarter of Delaware is made up of wetlands. The map on the right showcases how the locations of these areas are spread vastly across the state. With a variety of different types of wetlands Delaware has, some types are concentrated in certain areas over others.
Non-tidal wetlands
Over half of all wetlands (52%) in Delaware are non-tidal freshwater wetlands, also known as non-tidal palustrine wetlands (pink on the map), amounting to 152,012 acres. Most of those non-tidal areas are forested and occur throughout the state, though they are most concentrated in the central and western parts of the state. Aside from forested wetlands, some non-tidal wetlands are dominated by shrubs or non-woody plants such as grasses or rushes. Some, though fewer, non-tidal wetlands lack plants.
Tidal Wetlands
Tidal wetlands, including tidal saltwater (estuarine; green on map) and tidal freshwater wetlands (palustrine tidal; dark blue on map), make up 126,260 acres throughout the state, or 43% of the statewide acreage total. Most of those are saltwater wetlands – also known as estuarine – which occur along the Delaware Bay and Inland Bays and make up 90% of tidal wetlands. Many of those estuarine wetlands represent a habitat type known as low marsh, which is typically flooded at every high tide and dominated by the plant saltmarsh cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora). Fewer estuarine wetlands represent high marsh habitat, which is at a slightly higher elevation than low marsh and is therefore flooded less frequently. Unfortunately. the invasive European reed (Phragmites australis), which can be detected in aerial imagery, is present in over half of the mapped high marsh habitats.
Tidal freshwater wetlands only make up 10% of tidal wetlands statewide and occur along waterways slightly more inland than estuarine wetlands. Those areas still experience tides but are far enough away from the bay or ocean that they have fresh water instead of salt water.
Others
Riverine, lacustrine, and marine were the other categories that were mapped in the 2017 project. Each of these categories only make up very small proportions of total statewide acreage. Riverine wetlands (orange on map) make up just 3% of the statewide total and represent streams or rivers all over the state. Marine wetlands (yellow on the map) only make up less than 1% of statewide total. These are rocky or sandy shorelines right along the Atlantic Ocean in southern Delaware. Lacustrine wetlands (aqua on map) represent 2% of statewide total. Those wetlands are ponds or pond edges, and are scattered all over Delaware. Open water, including large waterbodies of the Inland Bays, was not included as a part of the 2017 wetland mapping effort, though it is illustrated on the map in light blue.
Are we gaining or losing wetlands in Delaware?
In addition to looking at current wetland acreage status in Delaware, WMAP also examined wetland losses, gains, and wetland type changes that occurred between 2007 (the year the last mapping effort occurred) and 2017. Stay tuned for another blog post coming soon that will cover these topics!
Note that the mapping layers discussed here represent biological wetlands and do not serve as regulatory or jurisdictional boundaries. Contact DNREC’s Watershed Assessment Section with questions or issues accessing or using these data at (302)-739-9939.
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