The steps below outline the procedure to delineate a wetland. After reading this you will not be able to delineate a wetland, but you should have a better idea of what is involved with the process if you need to have someone delineate your wetland.

BASIC STEPS:

1. Walk the site to locate project area limits.

2. Determine if atypical situation exists (where 1 or more field indicators of wetland have been obscured by recent events and was the area wetland prior to this?)

3. Determine approach to be used, depending on project area size, homogeneity or heterogeneity of site. Go to step 4 for simple sites or homogenous communities, or to STEP 18 for larger sites or more complex communities.

4. Identify plant community types on site.

5. Determine whether normal environmental conditions exist.

6. Select representative observation points in the first plant community.

7. Characterize each community by visually identifying dominants in each stratum (layer).

8. Record indicator status of dominants.

9. Determine the presence of hydrophytic vegetation.

10. Apply wetland hydrology indicators.

11. Determine presence of wetland hydrology.

12. Determine whether soils must be characterized (All dominants are OBL, or all dominants are OBL and FACW and the boundary is abrupt).

13. Dig soil pit.

14. Apply hydric soil indicators.

15. Determine the presence of hydric soils.

16. Make wetland determination.

17. Determine wetland/non-wetland boundary.

Routine method – More than 5 acres in size

18. Establish a baseline.

19. Determine number and position of transects (There should be a minimum of 3 transects not more than 0.5 miles apart)

20. Sample observation points along transect first;
Determine presence of normal environmental conditions
Characterize parameters
Vegetation – 30 ft and 5 ft radius plots (estimate– don’t flag)
Soils
Hydrology

Make wetland/non-wetland determination
Sample other points (communities) along transect
Determine boundary between wetland and non-wetland points

21. Sample other transects (Follow protocol in step 20).

22. Synthesize data – identify wetland communities and non-wetland communities.

Do you still want to learn more about the wetland delineation process? Click here to view the complete wetland delineation manual.