Wetland determination

We have done many surveys for a wetland determination but we only locate the points set by a wetlands expert and then we prepare a plat for the COE permit.

it is another specialized profession. in md, environmental engineers typically do it. they use a munsell color chart, vegetation determination, and soil classification to determine, or more appropriately delineate, wetlands. from what i understand, abundance of water is subordinate in importance to soil type and vegetations type. all this said, i am a surveyor , not an e e

I have limited experience from hanging out with a wetlands expert. I am guessing that first, possible wetlands are located on a wetlands map (sort of like a USGS topo) but now mostly in GIS form. The site is then walked searching for the areas. In order for it to be a wetland, there have to be all three of the following situations 1) Wetland vegetation (cattails, etc), 2) Hydric soils, and 3) Saturated soil. Once it is determined, then the area is outlined and a report is prepared on the area, located and placed on a survey map for future use. I know there is a lot that is left out but that is about all I know. Also, in PA there is some sort of class that you take to become a "wetland specialist" I think it is 2 or 3 days. It sounds like easy work, but I am sure it bacn become a PITA when everyone is looking at you as the "project troublemaker" finding wetlands in the middle of the project. I guess kind of like the ways a boundary surveyor would can kill a closing, a wetland expert can kill an entire project. 😀

Have the client call a Environmental firm to flag the wetlands (stay out of that part of it). Locate the flags and note the ID number on the flag . You might see AW-3 ,AA1 . Which means average width is 3' and the flag id is AA1 . You may be required to produce a COE map and requires the flag numbers on the map, also an area of the Wetlands , site must also be tied to State Grid . The map must be on 11x17 and contain the COE certification on it as well as your state mapping requiements .

We have a Wetlands Specialist in our office. He's not an engineer but was an agriculture major in school and is well versed in soils and vegetation. In addition he's had wetlands training long ago and has years of experience in doing them for USACE review. The Districts around here like his reports. He takes one of our Magellan hand helds when he goes out and does the GPS collection as he's doing everything else. All I have to do when he gets back is download the receiver and make some maps, usually anymore over a Google Earth background. Occasionally we need to incorporate his delineation on a survey plat, but more often it's just a free standing report with some maps as attachments.

Doing delineations seems as much an art as a science. As such, there's really no substitute for experience. I'd hate to try to do one myself without a lot of experience and then end up in court against someone who really knew his stuff.

As stated by others, we leave the actual wetland determination to certified environmental experts, and just show the location of the flags on our survey. Apparently, sometimes beavers can also be relied upon to know the extent of wetlands...

Thanks everyone. Your responses have been most helpful. I've done the surveying side of it one or two time years ago but always as a sub to an engineering firm, but never as a lead. I've contacted the client and they are searching for a specialist. Can't stick the neck out to get it chopped off.

We will delineate the easy 'resource areas' (well, easy for us)
Coastal Banks are based on topographical data.
Coastal Dunes are based on hilly sand and grass.
Coastal Beaches and Flats and Salt Marshes are nice and easy.
I always end up working for someone who wants to prove a stream is not perennial (ie a River). Again easy for a surveyor: based on watershed and direct observation of flow.

We sub out the tricky ones to the 'experts'. Bordering vegetated wetland and other plant based, soil based delineations. I quote the experts because if you put 10 of these guys out there, they will all find a different limit for the wetland.

If you know your plants and your regs, you could do it. I know most of the plants and most of the regs and I would not touch a true delineation.

I will estimate a wetland based on elevation. The limit of wetlands vegetation very rarely will extend more than two-feet above the record high water of a wetland. If the project is far from the wetland, the local Commission will often accept this pseudo-delineation.

Each State is probably different, but it is important to be aware of regulations regarding wetlands/waterbodies/surface waters in your locale. Where I live in NH, our town has a map of "Official Waterbodies". It is important to consider this map so that the wetland scientist can provide for adequate level of detail - like where is the point that a wetland turns into a stream and vice-versa.

It is also important when dealing with Wetland/Soil Scientists (as they are known where I live) that May is National Wetlands Month. It lets them know their slogging around in muck/dirt is appreciated - just don't call it dirt - it's SOIL.

Septic Designers are also allowed to delineate wetlands in NH.

> Septic Designers are also allowed to delineate wetlands in NH.

I am a recently licensed designer and my understanding is we can only delineate wetlands for the purpose of determining a suitable location for a leach field (i.e. EDA). But for other purposes we may not. I might be mistaken. In any event for septic systems the focus is on the soil and seasonal high water table and not so much on the vegetation and the type of wetland (swamp, marsh bog, etc.)

I have always had a certified wetland/soil scientist do the delineations for me. That way the septic design, planning, zoning and other approvals necessary get met.

Anyone can deliniate wetlands. The question is, do you want to.

As far as I know the state is not envolved at all. You we trying to satisfy the ACOE in determining if the land is "waters of the US" which wetlands are. If the ACOE accepts your delineation the state has to. I am a certified wetlands delineator (4-5 day class), but you don't have to be. As others have pointed out, there are 3 factors that determine the presance of wetlands. If you identify those 3 factors correctly in the ACOE data sheets and you impliment the correct procedure for locating your test pits, the ACOE will accept the delineation and issue a JD (their acceptance) and the state has to honor it.

For me, the plant identification is the trickiest. The hydrology and soils are easy.
I would rather not do them, but will if pushed (I will just pad the hell out of my proposal so they offer the flagging to others and the locating to me).

(In NH) I know that Septic designers can delineate wetlands for septic designs, wetlands crossings permits and shoreline protection plans. I guess I'm not sure about subdivision plans.

I checked with Subsurface in Concord and they agree that for the purposes of a septic system design licensed designers can delineate wetlands. So if the design scope included a protected shoreland, or needing wetlands permitting of some sort, then DES/Subsurface would accept the licensed septic designers delineation. However, outside the scope of a septic system design, a septic designers delineation may not be adequate. This makes sense to me because it is only required that we study and know Soils for the licensing requirements. There is no requirement that we know our vegetation and the very definition of a wetlands includes knowing vegetation of wetlands.

So, as with the question of "aren't septic designers in NH actually perform the work of surveying to some extent", this wetlands delineation stuff kind of gets a pass here in NH. But to those of you NOT in the Live Free Or Die state, you better double check your state laws and regulations.

> Thanks everyone. Your responses have been most helpful. I've done the surveying side of it one or two time years ago but always as a sub to an engineering firm, but never as a lead. I've contacted the client and they are searching for a specialist. Can't stick the neck out to get it chopped off.

100% certain you need to hire someone trained and schooled in the art of wetland delineation. THey may even need to have certain criteria to be able to do this on most municipal projects or any project that will involve any sort of agency review(which is probably the case in almost any wetland delineation project: some are more high profile/risk than others).

Depending on where you are and the type of wetlands you are tying you may want to meet the wetlands person onsite near the end of their work so they can show you around the area as they arent always the best at 'clear' delineation and you don't want to go back to pickup the missed flags.