Baldwin County Wetland Conservation Plan - Alabama Department ...

Baldwin County Wetland Conservation Plan Final Summary Document
Wetland Functions Assessed
The Advisory Committee agreed that the model should address the same functions as the ADID
Project.
Determining the capacity of a wetland to perform a particular function, or suite of functions, is
an objective of a functional assessment procedure. This capacity is expressed in functional
capacity designations for all project area wetlands. There are a number of wetland functions to
consider for possible inclusion into a functional assessment model. Ultimately, the wetland
functions to be assessed are chosen based on their relative economic value to the local area.
This value, or perceived societal importance, is measured largely in terms of economic benefits
derived from the wetland resource. A wetland value is described as “something worthy,
desirable or useful to humans” (Mitsch and Gosselink 1986). These values are somewhat
subjective and vary from individual to individual and can range from aesthetic importance to
recreational importance. This project assesses wetland functions, but these are closely linked to
wetland values. The following table (Table 1.1) displays the wetland functions assessed for the
project and their associated value to society.
Table 1.1. Wetland Functions Assessed and Their Associated Value to Society.
Wetland Function Associated Value To Society
Water/Floodwater Storage Flood Damage Reduction/Water Quality
Maintenance
Sediment/Toxicant/Nutrient Removal Water Quality Maintenance
Wildlife/Fisheries Habitat Aesthetic/Recreational/Hunting
Groundwater Maintenance Water Supply/Water Quality Maintenance
Each of the above functions will be assessed for each wetland type in the various functional
assessment models. A number of variables (expressed as questions in the project format) will
be used to address each function in the functional assessment models. Simply put, a variable is
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