The Environmental Protection Agency recently published National Wetland Condition Assessment: The Third Collaborative Survey of Wetlands in the United States. The “report summarizes the National Wetland Condition Assessment’s key findings on U.S. wetland condition. The EPA and its state and Tribal partners conducted the survey in 2021.”
While there were no NNK sites incuded as part of the assessment, the locations which were included are representative of those across the country. According to the report, “the target population for the NWCA included all wetlands of the conterminous United States not currently in crop production. These included tidal and nontidal areas with rooted vegetation and, when present, shallow open water less than one meter deep.”
EPA writes, “the survey characterized wetlands using indicators of ecological condition and stress.” The top-line results are:
- “Less than half of wetland area was rated good, based on an analysis of plant communities.”
- “Nonnative plants were a widespread concern.”
- “Physical alterations to wetlands were the most widespread stressors measured.”
Across the board, good ratings were either below 50%, mostly in the 40-49% range, or above 70%. For all but two indicators, a five-tier scale was used: Good, fair, poor, very poor, and insufficient data. The ratings for each condition are shown in the table below.
Wetlands in Virginia
So the question is, what does this mean to and for Virginia? And the NNK in particular?
Virginia has approximately one million acres of wetlands. The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and VIMS say one million; the Environmental Law Institute in State Wetland Program Evaluation: Phase III (PDF) reports 1.2 million acres. ELI staff write,
Virginia’s 1.2 million acres of wetlands cover approximately 4.5 percent of the Commonwealth’s total land area. Three quarters of Virginia’s wetlands are nontidal, but both shores of the Chesapeake Bay have extensive estuarine wetlands. Over the last two centuries, Virginia has lost approximately 42 percent of the state’s historical wetlands to agricultural, industrial, and urban development.
Wetlands and Surface Water on the Northern Neck, also below, shows the wetlands and surface waters in Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland counties. Users can zoom in and out to best find what they are looking for.
Wetlands are protected by state and federal law and were placed on the national agenda in 1988 when then-Vice President George H.W. Bush “made a remarkable promise: His administration would set a national goal of ‘no net loss of wetlands.’” (Source: How George H.W. Bush (eventually) rescued U.S. wetlands) Don't be like a member of the Harbour Pointe Homeowners Association who said something to the effect of “Can’t we just ignore what US Fish and Wildlife said [when they designated an area of Black Pond a Freshwater Emergent Wetland]?” No, you can’t just ignore the designation just becuase you want to.
In addition to the preponderance of nonnative plants, the status of soil compaction and surface modifications, and poor water chemistry as found by the EPA, sea level rise and a changing climate are both expected to negatively impact tidal and non-tidal wetlands. ADAPTVA’s Sea Level Project Viewer allows users to see the impact of a little to a lot of sea level rise. Based on this information, individuals, communities, and localities can take action to mitigate what is coming. Citizen Action | Wetlands Overview by Wetlands Watch in 2019 shows how education results in action and collaboration for the benefit of the environment and community.