Some wetland types can be easily recognized, especially those with standing water, while others may be less obvious. Areas that are flooded in the spring and early summer may dry up by August. Other wetlands may never have standing water but may have saturated soil conditions for a portion of the growing season. Therefore, the presence or absence of water cannot, by itself, always be used to make a determination. In the field we look for indicators of three wetland parameters: hydrology, soils, and vegetation. Normally, evidence of all three parameters must be found for an area to qualify as a wetland. These same parameters are used to determine the boundaries, or to delineate the wetland.

Updated: April 2003