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CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS IN SUPPORT OF RIPARIAN RESTORATION: WATER QUALITY BENEFITS AND HABITAT RESTORATION IN DELAWARE AGRICULTURAL AREAS
Citation:
CANFIELD, T. J., T. G. BARTHELMEH, AND M. A. BIDDLE. CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS IN SUPPORT OF RIPARIAN RESTORATION: WATER QUALITY BENEFITS AND HABITAT RESTORATION IN DELAWARE AGRICULTURAL AREAS. Presented at Ecological Society of America/INTERCOL, Montreal, QC, CANADA, August 08 - 12, 2005.
Impact/Purpose:
information
Description:
Surface water runoff from agricultural landscapes is one of the major sources of water quality impairment in the United States. With the advent of buffer strips and conservation minded tilling practices the agricultural community has made significant reductions in overland runoff of nutrients and sediments. But even with these practices a large amount of nutrients and sediment still reach the nations water ways. In an effort to mitigate these stressors from running into the waters of Delaware, The Delaware Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Control (DNREC) has constructed/restored over 200 small wetland complexes that work to intercept this runoff from these agricultural fields before they enter the headwater streams of Delaware. These wetlands have been constructed with minimal engineering and have been designed to mimic as closely as possible the heterogeneous conditions of natural wetlands. Emphasis has been placed on developing systems with various depths of water to simulate the micro and macro topography of natural wetlands. Post-construction organic material is added for immediate macro-invertebrate emergence. Coarse woody debris has been incorporated into these systems to provide habitat structure for reptiles and waterfowl, while also providing a long term source of carbon for these systems. Perimeters of these systems are irregularly shaped, and are placed in areas of the farm fields that typically remain wet most of the year. Noticeable visual improvements are evident in the downstream clarity of the water in areas where these wetland systems have been restored. Efforts are underway to quantify the amount of nutrient and sediment removal by these systems during natural flow events. The Delaware Agricultural Community and the DNREC are working hand in hand to improve the surface water quality of Delaware.