1. Maryland Department of the Environment Water Management Administration
Wetlands and Waterways Program

2. Goals for Wetland Monitoring Strategy C
Meet Requirements of Clean Water Act
Use classes, water quality standards, 305(b) 303(d) TMDLs
Integrate Results into Regulatory Program for Permit Review and Mitigation
Improve Voluntary Wetland Restoration and Protection
Integrate Results with other Planning and Water Monitoring, and Water/Natural Resources Management C

3. Existing Monitoring Efforts
Best Professional Judgment for Small Wetland Impacts
Formal Functional Assessment for State Highway Projects
Monitoring of Mitigation Sites
Test Studies of Wetland Condition – Completed, In progress or Near Future
Nanticoke watershed, Piedmont slope, Test case, Patuxent watersheds

4. Steps in Development of Strategy
Obtain Grant for Strategy Development ( )
Form Workgroup of Interested Parties
MDE, DNR, SHA, MDA, Corps, EPA, Local Governments, Volunteer Groups, Universities, other research institutions
Set Goals and timeline
Identify Monitoring Needs, Uses, Tools
incl. Databases, information exchange, GIS data, wetland classification, sampling design, landowner contact

5. Steps in Development of Strategy – cont.
Consider wetland function and condition
Evaluate data for Level 1,2,3 Assessments, including digital and paper reference information
To be evaluated:
wetland maps permit data other land features
soil information mitigation sites land use
water quality data MBSS elevations
wetland assessments Green Infrastructure

6. Steps in Development of Strategy – cont.
Refine Identification of Gaps and Needs for Level 1,2,3
Reach Consensus on Protocols
Test case
Develop Use Class, Water Quality Criteria
Description of Steps to Integrate Monitoring Results in Regulatory and Non-regulatory Wetland Management Efforts
Final Report with background information, analysis of data sources considered and decisions on use, literature citations, deliberations, detailed work plan, and task assignments

7. Status of Current Discussions Mid-Atlantic Wetland Work Group (MAWWG) –EPA, MD, VA, DE, OH, WV, NC, PA, NY, NJ, VIMS, PSU, U-DE What Should Be Assessed? What Assessments Should Be Conducted? What Classification System Should be Used? How Should Use Designations Be Structured?

8. What Should Be Assessed
What Should Be Assessed? Condition as Deviation from Reference Condition Function with Effectiveness and Opportunity Conceptual Results: Present Results indicating wetland condition as meeting/not meeting natural integrity use; and Results indicating wetlands that meet functional use designations

9. What Assessments Should be Conducted?
3 Tiers of Assessment – Landscape, Rapid, Intensive
Landscape (Level 1) – GIS Analysis, using existing data layers
Rapid – (Level 2) Evaluation of Stressors during Brief Field Visit
Intensive - (Level 3) Additional Data Collection
Level 3 Used to Calibrate Level 1 and Level 2
Data collection varies – ½ day in Nanticoke, 2 years in Va. pilot
EPA offers assistance in sample study design. Recommends 50 samples/wetland type

10. Discussion Lags Behind Development of Assessment Methods
Designated Uses
Discussion Lags Behind Development of Assessment Methods
Tiered Aquatic Life Use Support (TALUS)– Encouraged for water quality standards
6 Levels of Biological Condition Gradient Includes Function
Different Levels Consider Presence of Natural and Sensitive Species, Tolerant Species, Diversity
Originally Designed for Permanent Streams
Functional Decline Lags Behind Condition Change
Have Been Developed in Several States

11. Designated Uses cont. Try to “Lump” Classes
Consider Distinguishing Between Physiographic Regions
Separate Class for Man-made Wetlands

12. Classification System Hydrogeomorphic Assessment (HGM) – currently favored by EPA Region III Uses hydrology source, landscape position, physiographic region to classify wetlands – e.g. tidal fringe, depression, riverine, flat, slope National Wetland Inventory Existing classification on base maps, uses hydrology, salinity, vegetation, duration of inundation Other - Ohio uses HGM w/ vegetation modifier MD tidal wetland system, DNR Community Classification –Key Wildlife Habitats

13. Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) Assessment
Developed by Brinson (USACOE. 1993) to evaluate impacts on wetland functions in response to CWA 404 permitting.
Based on three factors that create and maintain function
Landscape position (geomorphic setting)
Water source (hydrology)
Flow and fluctuation of water in wetland (hydrodynamics)

14. Riverine
Depressional
Slope
Flats (mineral)
Flats (organic)
Fringe (Estuarine)
Fringe (Lacustrine)

15. Key Wildlife Habitats
Concept developed as a required element of State Wildlife Action Plan for all states
Method to focus conservation for about 500 GCN species, as well as the full array of wildlife that also occurs within those habitats
Conserve entire assemblages of species by working to protect and conserve key wildlife habitats

16. Key Wildlife Habitats cont.
Based on GCN species with input from DNR, scientific experts, stakeholders
Use of existing, data-driven and standardized ecoregion and vegetative classification systems
NWI, USNVC, MD Ecological Community groups, Ecological Systems

17. List of Key Wildlife Habitats (wetlands)
Floodplain Forests
Nontidal Shrub Wetlands
Forested Seepage Wetlands
Tidal Shrub Wetlands
Carolina Bays
Nontidal Emergent Wetlands
Vernal Pools
Tidal Marshes
Upland Depressional Swamps
Bog and Fen Wetland Complexes

18. Modified Wetland Classification
Renames, Consolidates, Revises HGM classes, Allows for Cross Walk with HGM and Key Wildlife Habitats
Tidal Wetlands (may separate into estuarine and freshwater)
Riparian Headwater Wetland – may have multiple hydrology sources, include slope and depressional complexes in or connected to floodplain
Riparian Mainstem Wetland – may have multiple hydrology sources, including overbank flooding, include slope and depressional complexes in or connected to floodplain

19. Modified Wetland Classification cont.
Isolated Wetland – not hydrologically connected to surface water body, may include slopes or depressions
Seasonal Flat Wetland – slow infiltration of surface water, high groundwater, level topography, may or may not be connected
Peatland Wetlands – sphagnous mat, organic soils, accumulated peat, year-round soil saturation

20. Modified Wetland Classification cont.
Altered, Constructed, or Incidental Wetland –
Actively managed or established due to human activity (wetlands in stormwater facility).
May have increased or decreased functional performance.
May not initially be comparable to reference wetland, but may resemble natural reference over time (e.g. mitigation or created/restored wetlands)
Does not include wetlands under management to replace natural process (e.g. fire)

21. Resolve Differences Between HGM/Modified State System
Modifiers
System may use special modifiers to provide higher score to certain wetlands – presence of RTE species, Delmarva Bays, vernal pools
Next Steps
Resolve Differences Between HGM/Modified State System
Differences: riverine/riparian areas, slopes, depressions
Sampling under HGM/Modified State System Should Yield Data to be Used for Key Wildlife Habitat Assessment.