Where are North Carolina's wetlands?
While wetlands are found across North Carolina, the highest percentage of wetlands are located in the North Carolina coastal plain (perhaps as much as 4 million acres, according to NC Division of Coastal Management estimates ). Until the latter part of the twentieth century, wetlands were mostly regarded as obstacles to people's well-being.
What is the rate of wetland loss in North Carolina?
The FWS estimates the current rate of wetland loss to be about 290,000 acres per year. For approximately 200 years, the Federal Government and many states, including North Carolina, approved of and assisted in wetland destruction as a way to improve public health and encourage economic development.
How did colonization affect wetlands in North America?
Throughout the 1600's and 1700's, colonization was encouraged by European monarchs to establish footholds in North America. The effects of this colonization on the landscape became obvious in the early to mid-1700's. Much of our knowledge of early wetlands comes from maps and other documents that survived over time.
Where was the most widespread wetland drainage in the colonies?
Widespread wetland drainage was most prevalent in the southern colonies. In 1754, South Carolina authorized the drainage of Cacaw Swamp for agricultural use (Beauchamp, 1987). Similarly, areas of the Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia and North Carolina were surveyed in 1763 so that land could be reclaimed for water transportation routes.
Why are wetlands in NC important?
Wetlands provide essential habitat for many diverse species -- fish, wildlife and plants. In North Carolina, more than 70 percent of the species listed as endangered, threatened or of special concern depend on wetlands for survival.
Which is a major cause of wetland loss in North Carolina?
Nearly one-third of the wetland losses in the state's coastal plain are believed to have occurred since the 1950s; in fact, some estimate that from the early 1950s through 1983, North Carolina lost 1.2 million acres of wetlands, more than any Southeastern state, mostly as the result of conversion to managed forests and ...
Are there wetlands in North Carolina?
Wetlands are wet areas commonly referred to as swamps, lowlands, marshes, bottomlands, and sloughs and are the most abundant coastal habitat type in North Carolina. These areas have plants and animals that are adapted to live parts of their lives in water.
What kind of wetlands are in North Carolina?
Riverine Forest Wetland. Riverine forest wetlands occur extensively in North Carolina, other southern states, and even in other countries. ... Mountain Bog. On the western side of North Carolina we find bogs. ... Carolina Bay. ... Pocosin. ... Seep Wetland. ... Basin Wetland. ... Pine Wetland. ... Freshwater Marsh.More items...
What are the negative effects of wetlands?
Common direct impacts to wetlands include filling, grading, removal of vegetation, building construction and changes in water levels and drainage patterns. Most disturbances that result in direct impacts to wetlands are controlled by State and Federal wetland regulatory programs.
How much of NC is wetland?
Wetlands of North Carolina are diverse and widely distributed. About 5. 7 million acres, or 17 percent. of the State is covered by wetlands (Dahl, 1990).
What percentage of NC wetlands have been drained and filled?
Estimates indicate that over 50 percent of the wetlands that existed when colonists first settled our state have been lost. Many were purposely drained and filled for agriculture, development, and mosquito control.
Who regulates wetlands in North Carolina?
Because they involve water, changes to wetlands in North Carolina are regulated by the 401 and Buffer Permitting Branch of the Division of Water Resources (DWR), the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management (DCM), and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
What are wetlands good for?
Some of these services, or functions, include protecting and improving water quality, providing fish and wildlife habitats, storing floodwaters and maintaining surface water flow during dry periods. These valuable functions are the result of the unique natural characteristics of wetlands.
What animals live in NC wetlands?
A wide variety of mammals use wetlands for habitat because of the good plant cover and availability of water. Otter, beaver, coyotes and bobcats, deer, bears, elk, muskrats, and other small mammals can be seen in North Carolina's wetlands. North Carolina's wetlands are full of birds!
How many swamps are in NC?
Swamps by County There are 542 Swamps in North Carolina.
Which swamp is the biggest in NC?
The Great Dismal SwampThe Great Dismal Swamp stretches across Northeastern North Carolina up into Southern Virginia. The swamp is one of the largest natural areas in the Eastern United States, with over 100,000 acres protected by state and federal preserves.
What is the main cause of loss of wetlands?
The EPA also list the following as major human causes of wetland loss: logging, runoff, air and water pollution, introducing nonnative species.
What are the causes of wetland loss?
Human activities cause wetland degradation and loss by changing water quality, quantity, and flow rates; increasing pollutant inputs; and changing species composition as a result of disturbance and the introduction of nonnative species.
What percentage of NC wetlands have been drained and filled?
Estimates indicate that over 50 percent of the wetlands that existed when colonists first settled our state have been lost. Many were purposely drained and filled for agriculture, development, and mosquito control.
Which swamp is the biggest in NC?
The Great Dismal SwampThe Great Dismal Swamp stretches across Northeastern North Carolina up into Southern Virginia. The swamp is one of the largest natural areas in the Eastern United States, with over 100,000 acres protected by state and federal preserves.
How many wetlands are there in North Carolina?
The total number of stormwater wetlands operating here is likely well over 125 , including those built by conservation groups for local water-quality improvements. These wetlands are typically less than an acre, but a notable exception is a 30-acre stormwater wetland constructed in 2013 in New Bern.
Where are wetlands found in North Carolina?
While wetlands are found across North Carolina, the highest percentage of wetlands are located in the North Carolina coastal plain (perhaps as much as 4 million acres, according to NC Division of Coastal Management estimates ).
How do wetlands help the environment?
Natural wetlands have been studied for decades for their ability to capture and transform many pollutants. In the correct landscape position, wetlands have been shown to intercept surface and groundwater and slowly release it over time. This interception allows particles of soil or debris to settle out and accumulate in the wetlands, releasing visibly cleaner water. Wetlands also can trap sediment-bound pollutants, like excess metals and phosphorous. Vegetation often grows readily and accumulates over time in wetlands, creating an environment that is high in organic matter and microbial activity. Alternating wetting and drying creates unique oxygen conditions in a wetland that stimulates microorganisms within to transform many pollutants in order to survive. For example, nitrate, which is a common form of nitrogen fertilizer often found in runoff, can pollute rivers and lakes. But when intercepted by wetlands, nitrate can be used by certain microorganisms instead of oxygen to survive when wetlands are flooded. As the water passes through the wetlands, the nitrate is transformed by the microbes into nitrogen gas that escapes to the atmosphere (the process is called denitrification), and the water leaving the wetland is less polluted. We now try to take advantage of the unique abilities of natural wetlands by constructing wetlands in strategic locations to intercept and treat polluted water.
What are the benefits of a wetland?
Depending on the type and its location in the landscape, a wetland can provide many services to society. Called ecosystem services, these benefits include the following: 1 Flood control, surface water storage, and regulation of nearby stream flows 2 The capture and removal of pollutants 3 Critical habitat for unique plants and animals that promote species diversity, including Venus flytraps and salamanders ( Figure 3) 4 Protection of shorelines of lakes and estuaries, especially in coastal areas prone to hurricane surge 5 Places for recreation and outdoor education
Why are stormwater and treatment wetlands constructed?
Rather, these wetlands are constructed to provide key water quality benefits, often in places or landscape settings where natural wetlands did not previously exist. Figure 4.
What are treatment wetlands?
Treatment wetlands are not typically in locations that are visible to the public, so aesthetics is not an important component of their design. On average, treatment wetlands are generally larger than stormwater wetlands, such as the 4.5-acre treatment wetlands in Walnut Cove. These wetlands provide final treatment of the town’s wastewater before discharging to a nearby stream ( Figure 8 ). As of 2018, less than 10 treatment wetlands were operating in North Carolina.
Why are wetlands built?
Alongside natural wetlands in the landscape, there are an increasing number of wetlands that have been built to replace lost natural wetlands, as well as many wetlands that were built to intercept polluted runoff and wastewater to protect water quality. In this section, we define the different types of constructed wetlands.
Look and Learn
Learn all about North Carolina’s wetlands – the what/where/when/who of wetlands, their benefits to us, how they are studied, and how to help them. Find factsheets, infographics, activities, lesson plans, curriculum connection, photos, and videos.
Research and Data
Discover what scientists are learning about North Carolina’s wetlands. Connect to a database with results (e.g., plants, bugs, amphibians, water, soil) from wetland research projects, find summaries of major project findings, and download full project reports.
Know the Law
Have wetlands on your property? Because wetlands are protected, you need to know if North Carolina’s rules and regulations require approval from the state before you make any changes to those wetlands. Explanations and links to the rules can be found here.
Get Involved Now
Wetlands are valuable to communities all across North Carolina. Many wetlands are undergoing negative changes, but people can get involved. Positive actions can be taken at home, locally, and internationally: find a way to get involved with wetlands.
How many acres of wetlands were there in North America before European settlement?
Before European settlement of North America, there were an estimated 220 million acres of wetlands in what is now the contiguous 48 states. About half that acreage has disappeared, mostly drained for crop production. One of the first large-scale drainage projects was undertaken by the Dismal Swamp Drainage Company in Virginia and North Carolina, which employed a young surveyor named George Washington.
What is a wetland?
"Wetlands" describes a variety of areas where plants and animals especially suited to wet environments can be found. Wetlands are among the richest and biologically most productive habitats on Earth.
How did the Civil War affect wetlands?
The American Civil War (1861-65) affected wetlands because traversing swamps and marshes with heavy equipment presented major logistical problems for both armies. The design, engineering, and construction of transportation and communication networks were stimulated. Attention became focused on the development of routes around, through, or over water bodies and wetlands, and on production of accurate maps (fig. 7). These maps provided an early glimpse of some of the Nation's wetlands.#N#(Click on image for a larger version)#N#Figure 7. Confederate States of America map of Southeastern United States with wetlands depicted for strategic rather than natural resources value. (Source: National Archives, Record Group 94, Civil War Atlas, Plate CXLIV.) States with notable wetland loss, 1800 to 1860.
How have society's views about wetlands changed?
Society's views about wetlands have changed considerably--especially in the last half century. Interest in the preservation of wetlands has increased as the value of wetlands to society has become more fully understood.
What innovation allowed the channelizing or clearing of small waterways at the expense of adjacent wetlands?
Another innovation, the steam-powered dredge, allowed the channelizing or clearing of small waterways at the expense of adjacent wetlands. Between 1810 and 1840, new agricultural implements--plows, rakes, and cultivators--enabled settlers to break ground previously not considered for farming (McManis, 1964).
What is the history of the Horicon Marsh?
The history of the Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin is an example of how people's attitudes toward wetlands have changed through time (fig. 13). Horicon Marsh was dammed, flooded, and renamed Lake Horicon in 1846. At that time, it was the largest manmade lake in the world (about 4 miles wide by 14 miles long) (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 1990). Lake Horicon was used for commercial transportation and for commercial fishing. In 1869, the dam was removed and the land returned to marsh. In 1883, two sportsmen's clubs, which leased the marsh area, reported that 500,000 ducks hatched annually in the marsh. They also reported that 30,000 muskrats and mink were trapped in the southern half of the marsh. Huge flocks of geese also were reported (Freeman, 1948). In 1904, attempts were made to drain the marsh and sell the reclaimed land for truck farms. Lawsuits resulting from inadequate drainage halted the reclamation effort.#N#In 1921, local conservationists began efforts to protect Horicon Marsh as a game refuge, and the State of Wisconsin created the Horicon Marsh Wildlife Refuge in July 1927. Later, to avoid legal confrontations with the local farmers, the State bought property and (or) water rights to the southern half of the refuge and the Federal Government purchased rights to the northern half. In 1990, Horicon Marsh was added to the sites recognized by the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat.#N#Estimates indicate that today slightly more than 100 million acres of wetlands remain in the conterminous United States. Although the rate of wetland conversion has slowed in recent years, wetland losses continue to outdistance wetland gains.
What were the incentives for the destruction of wetlands?
By the 1960's, most political, financial, and institutional incentives to drain or destroy wetlands were in place. The Federal Government encouraged land drainage and wetland destruction through a variety of legislative and policy instruments. For example, the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act (1954) directly and indirectly increased the drainage of wetlands near flood-control projects (Erickson and others, 1979). The Federal Government directly subsidized or facilitated wetland losses through its many public-works projects, technical practices, and cost-shared drainage programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Erickson, 1979). Tile and open-ditch drainage were considered conservation practices under the Agriculture Conservation Program--whose policies caused wetland losses averaging 550,000 acres each year from the mid-1950's to the mid-1970's (Office of Technology Assessment, 1984). Agriculture was responsible for more than 80 percent of these losses (Frayer and others, 1983). Figure 12 shows States with notable wetland losses between 1950 and 1990.
What were the most important projects that affected the wetlands?
Technology was increasingly important in manipulation of the Nation's water resources. Two of the most notable projects that affected wetlands were California's Central Valley Project and the lock and dam system on the Mississippi River. #N#Although draining had begun one-half century earlier, wetland modification in the Central Valley accelerated early in the 20th century. By the 1920's, about 70 percent of the original wetland acreage had been modified by levees, drainage, and water-diversion projects (Frayer and others, 1989). In the 1930's, large-scale flood-control projects, diversion dams, and water-control structures were being built on the tributary rivers entering the valley.
How many acres were lost in the 1980s?
About 103 million acres remained as of the mid-1980's (Dahl and Johnson, 1991). Six States lost 85 percent or more of their original wetland acreage--twenty-two lost 50 percent or more (Dahl, 1990) (fig. 2). Even today, all of the effects of these losses might not be fully realized.
What are the benefits of wetlands in North Carolina?
They provide many benefits to both the surrounding environment and society. Natural wetlands can occur in many different landscape positions and have diverse characteristics, such as periods of wetness (soil saturation and inundation) and vegetation types. Wetlands are often described by other names, such as swamps, marshes, or bogs, sometimes to capture their different characteristics. For example, a riverine swamp forest ( Figure 1) has long periods of standing water and vegetation composed mainly of water-loving tree species, such as baldcypress, black gum, and water tupelo. It looks and functions much differently than a coastal tidal marsh that is flooded daily and covered with salt-tolerant herbaceous plants, such as saltmeadow cordgrass and black needlerush ( Figure 2 ).
How are wetlands degraded?
Wetlands are considered as degraded when they have suffered at least some minor degree of alteration to water flow, vegetation, or pollution. Wetlands can be destroyed by draining or filling for development (including roads, shopping centers, housing developments, agriculture, and forestry) or by natural disasters like fire. Wetlands that are impacted by development are required by law to be rebuilt elsewhere. In North Carolina, that process is overseen by the NCDEQ and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Sometimes, wetlands that were degraded or destroyed long ago are also rebuilt through efforts from many national and state conservation groups (like the NC Coastal Federation ).
What are stormwater wetlands?
Stormwater wetlands are referred to as “event-based” wetlands because they are designed to fill with water only after rainfall and to drain nearly completely within two to four days. They are often located in high visibility areas, such as near shopping centers, schools, and parks, and contain multiple varieties of wetland plants that can withstand wetting and drying periods. The plants in stormwater wetlands often include flowering varieties that can provide an aesthetically pleasing amenity to the landscape ( Figure 7 ).
How do wetlands help the environment?
Natural wetlands have been studied for decades for their ability to capture and transform many pollutants. In the correct landscape position, wetlands have been shown to intercept surface and groundwater and slowly release it over time. This interception allows particles of soil or debris to settle out and accumulate in the wetlands, releasing visibly cleaner water. Wetlands also can trap sediment-bound pollutants, like excess metals and phosphorous. Vegetation often grows readily and accumulates over time in wetlands, creating an environment that is high in organic matter and microbial activity. Alternating wetting and drying creates unique oxygen conditions in a wetland that stimulates microorganisms within to transform many pollutants in order to survive. For example, nitrate, which is a common form of nitrogen fertilizer often found in runoff, can pollute rivers and lakes. But when intercepted by wetlands, nitrate can be used by certain microorganisms instead of oxygen to survive when wetlands are flooded. As the water passes through the wetlands, the nitrate is transformed by the microbes into nitrogen gas that escapes to the atmosphere (the process is called denitrification), and the water leaving the wetland is less polluted. We now try to take advantage of the unique abilities of natural wetlands by constructing wetlands in strategic locations to intercept and treat polluted water.
Why are wetlands built?
Alongside natural wetlands in the landscape, there are an increasing number of wetlands that have been built to replace lost natural wetlands, as well as many wetlands that were built to intercept polluted runoff and wastewater to protect water quality. In this section, we define the different types of constructed wetlands.
Why are wetlands important?
Wetlands can also be used to help treat more high strength municipal and industrial process wastewaters. These wetlands are known as treatment wetlands and are less common here when compared to stormwater wetlands. Treatment wetlands provide critical treatment of more polluted wastewater as part of an overall treatment plan for wastewater at several towns (including Walnut Cove and Aurora) and as part of other agricultural and waste management facilities.
What percentage of wetlands were lost?
Until the latter part of the twentieth century, wetlands were mostly regarded as obstacles to people’s well-being. Estimates indicate that over 50 percent of the wetlands that existed when colonists first settled our state have been lost. Many were purposely drained and filled for agriculture, development, and mosquito control. Others were damaged inadvertently from nearby activities that resulted in filling by sediment or from pollution. Some people driven by long-standing misconceptions continue to have negative perceptions about wetlands.
How many acres of wetland are lost annually?
The FWS estimates the current rate of wetland loss to be about 290,000 acres per year. For approximately 200 years, the Federal Government and many states, including North Carolina, approved of and assisted in wetland destruction as a way to improve public health and encourage economic development.
How many acres of wetlands were there in the 1980s?
By 1980, wetlands occupied about 104 million acres.
Why Are Wetlands Important?
Historically, wetlands have been considered unimportant, even worthless. At best, they were considered useful only when filled or drained. However, during the last twenty to thirty years,
What was the order that required the government to stop the destruction of wetlands?
In 1977, President Carter issued Executive Order 11990 which required agencies of the Federal Government to "minimize the destruction, loss or degradation of wetlands" and to "avoid direct and indirect support of new construction in wetlands wherever there is a practicable alternative.".
What are the values of wetlands?
These wetland values may include: water storage, including limiting the effects of floods and droughts; water purification; shoreline stabilization; habitat for waterfowl and other animals, and plants;
What are the functions of wetlands?
They improve water quality, recharge groundwater, provideflood control, and support a wide variety of fish, wildlife, and plants. Federal and state governments have written a number of laws and regulations designed to protect wetlands.
Why do sand dunes move?
moving sand from above the mean high water line on ocean beaches to create protective dunes.
