Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Wetlands?

As the name suggests, wetlands are lands where the soil becomes saturated with water or covered with water for at least part of the year. Wetlands may be fed by runoff, rivers and streams, rainfall and other forms of precipitation, seepage from groundwater, or a combination of all of these sources. Some types of wetlands normally have standing water in them. Other types are flooded daily or seasonally, and may appear to be dry land at certain times of the year.

The water table is at or near the surface of a wetland, and the soils are hydric (wet and low in oxygen). Hydric soils have distinctive color, texture and, sometimes, odor. The presence of hydric soil means an area was a wetland at some time in its history although it does not guarantee that the area is currently a wetland.

Most resident plants are known as hydrophytes (plant species adapted to life in water or in saturated soils).

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