Record Display for the EPA National Library Catalog

RECORD NUMBER: 3 OF 8

Main Title Importance of Protecting Vulnerable Streams and Wetlands at the Local Level. Wetlands and Watersheds Article No. 6.
Author K. Cappiella ; L. Fraley-McNeal
CORP Author Center for Watershed Protection, Ellicott City, MD.; Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds.
Year Published 2007
Stock Number PB2011-110124
Additional Subjects Streams ; Wetlands ; Natural resources protection ; Surface water ; Aquatic ecosystems ; Water resources ; Flood control ; Ground water ; Water supplies ; Sediments ; Habitat ; Endangered species ; Clean Water Act ; State government ; Local government ; Regulations
Holdings
Library Call Number Additional Info Location Last
Modified
Checkout
Status
NTIS  PB2011-110124 Some EPA libraries have a fiche copy filed under the call number shown. 07/26/2022
Collation 48p
Abstract
This article makes the case for expanded state and local protection of vulnerable streams and wetlands. Vulnerable streams and wetlands include the very smallest streams and wetlands that do not have a permanent surface water connection to larger waterbodies, yet are still vital parts of the ecosystem. The exact extent of these resources across the nation is unknown. Some preliminary estimates find that, in the contiguous U.S., headwater streams comprise 53% to 59% of the stream network, while 20% to 30% of wetlands could be considered isolated, making them vulnerable to direct impacts. Headwater streams and isolated wetlands provide a host of benefits that are just beginning to be documented, including: ecological linkages to downstream receiving waters; capacity to store floodwaters and recharge groundwater supplies; removal of excess nutrients and sediment; and exceptional biodiversity, supporting habitat for many threatened or endangered species. The primary federal authority protecting streams and wetlands is the Clean Water Act. Recent Supreme Court decisions such as SWANCC and Rapanos have potentially restricted the scope of the Clean Water Act, making headwater streams and isolated wetlands vulnerable.