Wetlands SP316

T

ECHNIQUES FOR

C

ONSTRUCTION

& M

ANAGEMENT

W

ETLAND

W

ETLAND

SP-3168/07

Techniques for Wetland Construction and Management

Shawn L. Locke, Ph.D., Texas Cooperative Extension, Department of Wildlife andFisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USACarl Frentress, Advanced Ecology Ltd., Athens, Texas, USAJames C. Cathey, Ph.D., CWB, Texas Cooperative Extension, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences,Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USACorey D. Mason, CWB, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, Texas, USARick Hirsch, Texas Cooperative Extension, Athens, Texas, USAMatthew W. Wagner, Ph.D., CWB, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin, Texas, USA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This document represents the second in a series of publications involving a partnership between Texas A&MUniversity, Texas Cooperative Extension, Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Institute of Renew-able Natural Resources, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. We thank the Texas Parks and WildlifeDepartment for funding for this work. Additional funding was provided from the Renewable Resources Exten-sion Act. We thank James and Jim Reed, owners of the Reed Family Ranch, for sharing their ideas of wildlifemanagement and access to their property. The Trinity Basin Conservation Foundation was a catalyst for thiswork, and we appreciate the collaboration with its members. Photos were provided by James C. Cathey, WesLittrell, Corey Mason, Michael Masser and Wesley Newman. We appreciate the efforts of Billy Higginbotham,Michael Masser, Cody W. White, and R. Montague Whiting Jr. for providing editorial review of this manu-script.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

INTRODUCTION

.....................................................................................................................................1What are Wetland Ecosystems? ....................................................................................................2Examples of the Economic Bene

ﬁ

ts of Wetlands .........................................................................2

Richland Creek WMA ......................................................................................................

2

Reed Family Ranch ..........................................................................................................

2The Value of Wetlands ..................................................................................................................3

WETLAND CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT

......................................................................3Site Selection ................................................................................................................................4Wetland Placement and Land Surveys ..........................................................................................4Levee Construction Planning ........................................................................................................5Bene

ﬁ

ts of Levee Side Slopes and Spillways ...............................................................................5Borrow Areas and Deep Water Zones ...........................................................................................5Levee Management Considerations ..............................................................................................6Water Sources and Control Devices .............................................................................................7

WETLAND MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

...................................................................................10Water Manipulation and Wetland Vegetation .............................................................................10

Annual Plant Communities ............................................................................................

10

Perennial Emergent Plant Communities .......................................................................

11

Submergent Plant Communities ....................................................................................

11Farm Practices and Wetland Management ..................................................................................13Nuisance Vegetation....................................................................................................................14Nuisance Wildlife .......................................................................................................................15

SUMMARY

.......................................................................................................................................16

RESOURCES

.......................................................................................................................................18

GLOSSARY

.......................................................................................................................................18

APPENDIX A

.......................................................................................................................................19

INTRODUCTION

For many people, wetlands equate toswamps, which bring to mind images of dangerous alligators and snakes. However,wetlands are important systems that containa vast array of plants and animals. They areas valuable ecologically as they are beauti-ful. Wetlands serve many functions that rare-ly are recognized by most people, yet theyare vital to human existence. Wetlands helpregulate the climate, as well as provide

ﬂ

oodand erosion control, while at the same timestoring and recycling nutrients. Further-more, wetlands remove human, livestock,and wildlife waste and protect water quality.They provide habitat for numerous wildlifespecies and present cultural and recreationalopportunities for humans. Collectively, theseare called ecosystem services (Table 1).In the previous publication in this series,“Linking Water Conservation and NaturalResource Stewardship in the Trinity RiverBasin,” the potential water crisis in Texaswas described, and the connection betweenecosystem function and responsible land

Ecosystem Service Ecosystem Function

gas regulation regulation of the atmosphere’s chemical compositionclimate regulation regulation of temperature, precipitation, and other biologicallycontrolled climatic processesdisturbance regulation regulation of environmental fluctuationswater regulation regulation of water flowwater supply storage and retention of watererosion control soil retentionnutrient cycling storage, cycling, and processing of nutrientswaste treatment uptake, removal, and breakdown of nutrientsbiological/pest control regulation of populations due to food webswildlife habitat habitat for resident and migratory wildlifefood production production of plants, animals, etc.raw materials production of extractable raw materialsgenetic resources source for unique biological materials and productsrecreation opportunities for recreational activitiescultural aspects opportunities for non-commercial use (i.e., aesthetic, artistic,educational, spiritual, and/or scientific values of ecosystems)

Table 1.

Ecosystem services provided by watersheds (Costanza et al. 1997).

stewardship was explored. Here, our objec-tive is to provide land stewards with theknowledge to perform actions on individualproperties to create, restore, or enhancewetlands.Land stewards throughout the Trinity RiverBasin and elsewhere have expressed inter-est in ways to improve ecosystem functionand restore ecological services in additionto enhancing wildlife habitat. This interestmay be stimulated by the demand for ac-cess to hunting lands, the increasing trendto use the land for recreational purposes,alternative economic land uses, or a strongsense of land stewardship among East Texaslandowners. The desire for information re-garding wetland management for ecologicalservices is growing among landowners.While basic wetland development conceptsand techniques are relatively straightfor-ward, managers should recognize that onlysite-speci

ﬁ

c assessments and subsequentmanagement programs can achieve objec-tives successfully. Wetlands are dynamic

1