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Home > Programs > Bureau of Environmental Protection > Office of Water Resources > Wetlands > Monitoring Wetlands


 
Wetlands title header

photo of marsh Freshwater Wetland Monitoring and Assessment in Rhode Island

The RI DEM Office of Water Resources, with funding from EPA, and in partnership with the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC), has initiated a new effort to monitor and assess the ecological condition of freshwater wetlands in RI. Working with wetland partners in the state, a plan has been developed, which outlines a multi-level approach to wetland monitoring, including long and short-term objectives.

Systematic monitoring and assessment of wetlands is an essential element of the comprehensive water monitoring strategy for the state and serves many purposes: to document the location and extent of wetlands, analyze their condition, and document trends. Knowledge gained from wetland monitoring and assessment is intended to allow managers to more effectively protect wetlands, prioritize restoration projects, and better manage impacts on a watershed scale.

Identifying Monitoring Objectives

Rhode Island's plan for wetland monitoring and assessment was developed with an emphasis on how information might be utilized and applied at the state and local levels to improve protection and management of freshwater wetlands. To identify objectives for the plan, meetings were held with wetland partners within and outside of the DEM. We asked partners the following questions:
  1. What information about wetland ecological condition might help you do your job better and help us all improve wetland protection and management?
  2. What do you think are the data needs for freshwater wetland monitoring in Rhode Island?
Our goal was to create a comprehensive list of issues, needs, and applications to use as a guide, and to update periodically, as the program develops. We organized the initial list into categories that reflected potential threats to wetland condition, data needs, and management applications of wetland monitoring and assessment data (Table 3 in the plan).

Long and Short Term Objectives

As stated in the plan, the goal of wetland monitoring and assessment in Rhode Island is to improve wetland protection and management by understanding the cumulative impacts of human activities on wetland condition. A three-tiered approach to monitoring, advocated by EPA, will be used to address the following long and short-term objectives, identified by DEM and partners:

Long-term Objectives
  • Develop a database of information necessary to evaluate trends in wetland condition.
  • Identify causes and sources of wetland degradation including cumulative impacts to wetlands.
  • Identify program and policy changes needed to improve overall wetland condition statewide.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of wetland management and protection programs with respect to wetland condition.
Short-term Objectives
  • Prioritize wetlands (and adjacent upland habitat) for protection through open space acquisition and other land protection mechanisms.
  • Develop and implement methods for monitoring impacts to wetlands due to water withdrawals.
  • Monitor and assess impacts to wetlands due to loss and degradation of adjacent upland habitats (buffer zones).
  • Monitor location and extent to which invasive species are present and affecting wetland condition.
Further information about wetland monitoring can be found in the RI plan, as well as in the web links below.

Wetland Partner Meeting Notes & Slides

  Notes Slides
Meeting with partners at DEM - plan development
Background information for partners outside DEM
 
Meeting with partners outside DEM - plan development
Progress update for all wetland partners
 
Partners meeting - draft plan review
 
Partners meeting - plan complete, review of early implementation projects

Related Wetland Monitoring Links:

EPA Watershed Academy
EPA Wetland Fact Sheets
EPA Wetland Bioassessment Fact Sheets
EPA Monitoring and Assessment
EPA Modules: Methods for Evaluating Wetland Condition
EPA Wetlands and Watersheds
EPA Biological Assessment of Wetlands Workgroup
EPA New England Biological Assessment of Wetlands Workgroup (NEBAWWG)
EPA Wetland Status and Trends
For General Information 222-6800 • After Hours Emergencies 222-3070 • Disclaimer
rev. 7/30/08