Wetland inventory and mapping at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, Virginia

Sharpe, Peter; Forget, Andrew; Kneipp, Gregg

The objective of this investigation was to delineate and map all wetlands and associated waterways subject to jurisdiction under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and all wetlands subject to National Park Service (NPS) procedures for implementing Director’s Order #77–1: Wetland Protection within Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park – Fredericksburg Battlefield (FRED). This investigation adhered to the U.S Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Interim Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Region as the primary methodology for making wetland determinations in the field. However, under D.O. #77.1 the National Park Service (NPS) must also assess any potential wetland habitats that fall within the broader Cowardin et al. (1979) definition of wetlands and deepwater habitats. A total of 37 palustrine wetlands encompassing 139.63 acres (56.50 ha) of land were identified and delineated from May – November 2012. All of the identified and mapped palustrine wetland systems meet both the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers criteria and the Cowardin et al. (1979) definitions. No new riverine systems were identified and mapped over the course of this investigation within the park boundary. The majority of the larger wetland systems were located in areas previously identified by park staff and USGS/NPS vegetation mapping, however, a significant number of previously smaller unmapped wetland areas were identified over the course of this investigation including the identification and verification of three vernal pool habitats. Our results also showed greater overall NWI accuracy compared to the USGS/NPS vegetation mapping at the 1:40,000 scale within the park study area boundary. The results shed valuable light on the efficacy of NWI mapping products for landscape level wetland status and trends analysis critical for supporting broad scale National Park Service management efforts such as the Natural Resources Condition Assessment program (NRCA) and State of the Parks reports. The improved boundary information and revised wetland mapping will also significantly improve the park’s ability to effectively manage, protect, and monitor these unique resources.

Wetland inventory and mapping at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park, Virginia

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