1987 Wetland Delineation Manual - The Wetlands Regulation Center
1987 Wetland Delineation Manual - The Wetlands Regulation Center
1987 Wetland Delineation Manual - The Wetlands Regulation Center
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<strong>Wetland</strong> Delination <strong>Manual</strong>, <strong>1987</strong> 61<br />
been employed, RETURN TO Section D or E to make a wetland determination. PROCEED<br />
TO the appropriate subsection.<br />
Subsection 1 - Vegetation<br />
73. Employ the following steps to determine whether hydrophytic vegetation previously<br />
occurred:<br />
• STEP 1 - Describe the Type of Alteration. Examine the area and describe the type of<br />
alteration that occurred. Look for evidence of selective harvesting, clear cutting, bulldozing,<br />
recent conversion to agriculture, or other activities (e.g., burning, discing, or presence of<br />
buildings, dams, levees, roads, parking lots, etc.). Determine the approximate date* when the<br />
alteration occurred. Record observations on DATA FORM 3, and PROCEED TO STEP 2.<br />
• STEP 2 - Describe Effects on Vegetation. Record on DATA FORM 3 a general description<br />
of how the activities (STEP 1) have affected the plant communities. Consider the following:<br />
a. Has all or a portion of the area been cleared of vegetation?<br />
b. Has only one layer of the plant community (e.g. trees) been removed?<br />
c. Has selective harvesting resulted in removal of some species?<br />
d. Has all vegetation been covered by fill, dredged material, or structures?<br />
e. Have increased water levels resulted in the death of some individuals?<br />
It is especially important to determine whether the alteration occurred prior to implementation<br />
of Section 404. PROCEED TO STEP 3.<br />
• STEP 3 - Determine the Type of Vegetation That Previously Occurred. Obtain all possible<br />
evidence of the type of plant communities that occurred in the area prior to alteration.<br />
Potential sources of such evidence include:<br />
a. Aerial photography. Recent (within 5 years) aerial photography<br />
an often be used to document the type of previous vegetation. <strong>The</strong> general type of plant<br />
communities formerly present can usually be determined, and species identification is<br />
sometimes possible.<br />
b. Onsite inspection. Many types of activities result in only partial removal of the previous<br />
plant communities, and remaining species may be indicative of hydrophytic vegetation. In<br />
other cases, plant fragments (e.g. stumps, roots) may be used to reconstruct the plant<br />
community types that occurred prior to site alteration. Sometimes, this can be determined by<br />
examining piles of debris resulting from land-clearing operations or excavation to uncover<br />
identifiable remains of the previous plant community.<br />
c. Previous site inspections. Documented evidence from previous inspections of the area may<br />
describe the previous plant communities, particularly in cases where the area was altered after<br />
a permit application was denied.<br />
25 February 1997 Environmental Techncal Services Co. 834 Castle Ridge Rd Austin, Texas 78746