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The Wetlands Group conducts biological
surveys and determinations of wetlands,
participates in studies of mitigation of
wetlands, and conducts studies of wetland
soils, and plant and animal communities.
The members of the wetlands and preliminary
studies group perform wetland delineations
for Illinois
Department of Transportation (IDOT)
proposed highway widening, realignment,
and bridge replacement projects. Wetland
delineation procedures are prescribed under
the 1987 Army
Corps of Engineers Wetlands
Delineation Manual. Using a variety
of maps and aerial photographs in conjunction
with the local soil survey, we determine
whether the site meets the hydric
soil, wetland hydrology,
and hydrophytic vegetation
criteria for wetlands required by the 1987
manual. It is also our duty to conduct
site assessment and post-construction monitoring
for IDOT wetland restoration
and creation projects throughout the
state. We provide public service by
speaking to various school and interest
groups and presenting workshops about our
work. Some of us also conduct independent
research related to wetlands and their functions.
Personnel:
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Click link below for home page: |
Click link below to contact: |
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Group
Head: |
Plocher,
Dr. Allen E. |
a-ploch@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu |
| GIS Specialist:
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Cordle,
Liane |
cordle@harrier.inhs.uiuc.edu |
| Plant
Ecologists: |
Busemeyer,
Dan
Feist,
Mary Ann
Ketzner,
Dave
Larimore,
Rick
Marcum,
Paul
Matthews,
Jeff
Tessene,
Paul
Wilm,
Brian
Zercher,
Brad
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busemeye@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu
mfeist@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu
dketzner@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu
rllarimo@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu
pmarcum@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu
matthews@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu
ptessene@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu
bwilm@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu
bzercher@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu |
| Soil Scientists:
|
Keene,
Dennis
Kurylo,
Jesse
Wiesbrook,
Scott
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d-keene@uiuc.edu
jkurylo@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu
swiesbro@mail.inhs.uiuc.edu
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Hydric Soils
A hydric soil is a soil that formed under
conditions of saturation, flooding, or ponding
long enough during the growing season to develop
anaerobic conditions in the upper part. Indicators
of hydric soils include, but are not limited
to: organic soils, histic epipedons, sulfidic
material, aquic or peraquic moisture regime,
reducing soil conditions, presence on hydric
soil lists, iron and manganese concretions,
and soil colors including gley colors and
bright mottles and/or low matrix chroma. Links
to many good soils information sites can be
found here.
Wetland Hydrology
Wetland hydrology encompasses all hydrologic
characteristics of areas that are periodically
inundated or have soils saturated to the surface
at some time during the growing season. Areas
with evident characteristics of wetland hydrology
are those where the presence of water has
an overriding influence on characteristics
of vegetation and soils due to anaerobic and
reducing conditions, respectively. Indicators
of wetland hydrology include, but are not
limited to: recorded gage data, field data,
visual observation of inundation or saturation,
watermarks, drift lines, sediment deposits,
and wetland drainage patterns. Links
to many good hydrologic information sites
can be found here.
Hydrophytic
Vegetation
Hydrophytic vegetation is defined as the sum
total of macrophytic plant life that occurs
in areas where frequency and duration of inundation
or soil saturation are sufficient to exert
a controlling influence on the plant species
present. The primary indicator of hydrophytic
vegetation is: more than 50% of the dominant
species are OBL, FACW, FAC+, or FAC on lists
of plant species that occur in wetlands. Other
indicators of hydrophytic vegetation include,
but are not limited to: visual observation
of plant species growing in areas of prolonged
inundation and/or soil saturation, morphological
adaptations, technical literature, physiological
adaptations, and reproductive adaptations.
Links to many
good plant information sites can be found
here.
Wetland Restoration and Creation
Wetlands are an essential feature of the
Illinois landscape. The state supports a
variety of wetland types, including wet
prairie, marshes, floodplain forests, and
swamps. Prior to European settlement, these
wetlands covered at least 23% of the surface
area of the state, an estimated 3.3 million
hectares (8.2 million acres). Over the past
two hundred years, however, wetlands have
been drained, cleared, filled, polluted,
and modified to accommodate the demands
of human settlement. As a result, wetland
acreage has been decimated. By the 1980's,
only 371,414 hectares (917,765 acres) of
the state's original wetlands (2.6% of the
state's surface area) remained, and many
of the remaining wetlands have been degraded
by sedimentation and other forms of pollution.
But wetlands have also been recognized
as a valuable resource. The functions of
wetlands are many, including flood flow
alteration, sediment stabilization, nutrient
removal, production export, and biological
diversity. While the consequences of losing
wetlands have not been thoroughly studied,
awareness of the benefits wetlands provide
has led to efforts to restore and rebuild
Illinois' wetland resource. In general,
wetland restoration means the re-establishment
of a wetland in the landscape where a wetland
existed historically. Wetland creation describes
construction a wetland where none has occurred.
In addition, the regulatory community has
acknowledged the importance of wetlands
and has created a setting for wetland protection.
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act of 1972
prohibits the deposit of dredge and fill
materials into waters of the United States,
including wetlands. The U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers (USACE) administer Section
404 regulations for development projects
subject to this section. The permitting
process requires that mitigation procedures
be followed in order to avoid or minimize
wetland impacts. When wetlands are destroyed,
their loss must be compensated, primarily
through restoration or creation.
The current emphasis in wetland restoration
and creation is to attempt to replicate
natural wetland structure and function according
to selected ecological principles. Restoration
continues to promise the greatest potential
for success. The art and science of ecological
wetland restoration and creation, however,
is still relatively new and the technology
incomplete. Many attempts to replicate natural
function and form have not been successful.
Even "successful" restored or
created wetlands do not fully replace the
functions or biological and chemical features
that have evolved in natural wetlands throughout
many years. It is extremely important to
promote sound science to restore and create
systems that function as and closely resemble
natural wetlands.
In order to advance this goal, INHS, in
cooperation with the Illinois State Geological
Survey and funded by the Illinois Department
of Natural Resources and the Illinois Department
of Transportation, published a guidebook
to assist wetland managers in accomplishing
this task. The Illinois Wetland Restoration
and Creation Guide is intended to direct
the development and implementation of wetland
restoration and creation projects. This
guidebook comprises six chapters that correspond
to stages in the wetland restoration or
creation process: planning, assessment,
design, construction, monitoring, and management.
Because conditions affecting planned wetland
projects vary on an individual basis, exact
specifications are not provided. Users will
need to select procedures that are applicable
to their particular project of each stage
and should consult natural resources professionals
before undertaking unfamiliar procedures.
Each chapter essentially can be used independently,
and wetland designers and managers are encouraged
to use appropriate sections of this document
as a reference in the field. The Guide also
includes an extensive set of appendixes
that contain useful supplementary resources
for wetland restoration and creation in
Illinois.
The Illinois Wetland Restoration and Creation Guide (Special
Publication 19) and other INHS wetlands-related special publications
are available. Please refer to the Publications
Catalog for ordering information.
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