CW2:9219

From Environmental Technology

1. Wetland refers collectively to marshes, swamps, bogs and similar areas found between dry land and water along the edges of streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, and coastlines and other bodies of water. Although most wetlands have standing or flowing water, many are dry for part of the year. For example, estuarine wetlands that are influenced by the tides may be dry twice a day. Several wetland types occur throughout the Chesapeake watershed due to its variability in typography, climate, soil, hydrology, salinity, vegetation and other factors.

2.Estuarine wetlands are tidally flooded by salt or brackish water and are found chiefly along the shores of the Bay and its tidal rivers. Palustrine wetlands are freshwater areas, situated on the floodplains bordering rivers and streams, fringing the shorelines of lakes and ponds, filling isolated depressions and covering broad flat areas at or near sea level. Wetlands also are characterized by their vegetation, as: Emergent wetlands, commonly called marshes and wet meadows, dominated by grasses, sedges and other herbaceous or non-woody plants; Shrub wetlands, including shrub swamps and bogs, characterized by low to medium-height woody plants; and Forested wetlands, largely wooded swamps and bottomland hardwood forests.