Baldwin County Wetland Conservation Plan - Alabama Department ...

Baldwin County Wetland Conservation Plan Final Summary Document
Rationale: These land use categories are marked by the presence of impervious
surfaces which will increase the volume of surface water sheet flow entering the wetland.
Thus, a wetland surrounded by these land uses will be more likely to receive and store
larger volumes of water. This variable was identified remotely through digital land use
data provide by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Data Column: WS_LULC; 1 point
Sediment/Toxicant/Nutrient Removal
Question1: Is the water regime of the observed wetland semipermanently flooded (F),
seasonally flooded (C), saturated (B), seasonally flooded/saturated (E), or
saturated/semipermanent/seasonally flooded (Y)?
Rationale: If the wetland exhibits one of the above water regimes, it is likely to provide
the alternating wet and dry conditions necessary to promote the microbial activity which
aid in nutrient processing. This variable was identified remotely through digital NWI data.
Data Column: wat_reg; 1 point
Question 2: Does the adjacent land surrounding the observed wetland fall into one of the
following land use categories: residential, commercial, industrial, transportation, mixed urban
use or agriculture?
Rationale: The assumption is that developed or agricultural lands which surround a
wetland increase the nutrient, sediment or toxicant load (fertilizer, animal waste, polluted
runoff) entering the system. Thus, a wetland in this position would have an increased
opportunity to cycle nutrients and filter water exiting the system. Since this variable deals
with the issue of opportunity rather than functional ability, a “no” response will not count
against a particular wetland. Rather, this will serve as a “bonus” question allowing a
wetland extra consideration if this variable applies. This variable was identified
remotely through digital land use data supplied by FEMA.
Data Column: STN_LULC; 1 point bonus
Wildlife Habitat
Question 1: Is the observed wetland free of government maintained roads?
Rationale: Highly traveled road corridors (defined here as government maintained since
a government entity would not normally maintain a road that was not highly traveled)
which bisect wildlife habitat create obvious disturbances which negatively impact wildlife.
In addition to the obvious traffic disturbances, secondary development (i.e. Commercial
enterprise) is often a result and is ultimately located adjacent to these highly traveled
road corridors. Also, roads which bisect a wetland reduce habitat capability by
fragmenting the landscape. This variable was identified remotely through Baldwin
County’s digital centerline file. The NWI often have gaps in wetland polygons where
roads exist. Therefore, a 100’ road buffer was used to identify all wetlands that are
actually affected by the presence of a road. Wetlands polygons that were contained
within a wetland system of greater than 100 acres were not affected.
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