Michigan Wetlands

Department of Environmental Quality

Michigan Wetlands

Wetlands are a significant component of Michigan’s landscape, covering roughly 5.5 million acres, or 15 percent of the land area of the state.

This represents about half of the wetland resources that existed prior to European Settlement.

Michigan Wetlands

A high percentage of Michigan residents responding to a recent survey recognized the multiple benefits provided by wetlands.

• Wildlife habitat 87%• Fish habitat 78%• Flood control 75%• Wildflower habitat 73%• Water filtration 73%

- Michael D. Kaplowitz and John Kerr, Michigan residents’ perceptions of wetlands and mitigation. Wetlands, Vol. 23, No. 2 June 2003

Percent of Michigan residents who view various wetland services as very important or extremely important:

Michigan Wetlands

In 1979, Michigan’s Legislature clearly recognized the functions and values of

wetlands in legislative findings incorporated into the Goemaere-Anderson Wetland

Protection Act, now Part 303, Wetlands Protection, of the Natural Resources and

Environmental Protection Act.

Michigan Wetlands

A loss of a wetland may deprive the people of the state of some or all of the following benefits to be derived from the wetland:

• Flood and storm control• Wildlife habitat• Protection of subsurface water resources and

recharging ground water supplies• Pollution treatment• Erosion control• Nursery grounds and sanctuaries for fish

The legislature finds that:

Types ofWetlands

Michigan Wetlands

Emergent marshes. These areas are frequently or continuously flooded, and often occur at the fringes of lakes or rivers.

Marshes are among the most productive ecosystems on earth - rivaling tropical rainforests.

Michigan Wetlands

Great Lakes coastal marshes are a special type of emergent wetland. These extremely productive, and rare systems are critical to North America’s migratory waterfowl populations.

Estimated expenditures in Michigan for migratory bird hunting in 2001 totaled $30,892,000.

32 of 36 species of Great Lakes fish depend upon coastal marshes for reproductive success.

Michigan Wetlands

Deciduous swamps. Swamplands are forested wetlands, and may be flooded for a only a portion of the year.

In southern Michigan, deciduous swamps are the most common type of wetland.

Michigan Wetlands

Deciduous Swamps/Forested Wetlands

Michigan Wetlands

Bogs and fens. Often located in pockets within coniferous swamps, or along the shores of lakes or streams, bogs and fens are both peatlands.

Michigan Wetlands

Frequently found in floodplains, swamplands provide a natural buffer against changing water levels on an annual basis.

Pictures of floodplain wetland taken two weeks apart

Michigan Wetlands

Bogs such as these developed over several

thousand years.

Irreplaceable Wetlands

Michigan Wetlands

Wetlands provide a haven for some of Michigan’s rarest plants and animals.

Small White Lady’s Slipper

Mitchell Satyr

Eastern Box Turtle

Photo by Larry West

Michigan Wetlands

At least 41 state listed, threatened, and endangered species of animals depend upon wetlands at some point in their life cycle.

An additional 10 listed species prefer wetland habitat, although they may survive in upland.

Short-eared Owl

Photo by James H. Harding

Eastern Fox Snake Photo by Don BaccusPhoto by Mary Rabe

Karner Blue

Michigan Wetlands

It is estimated that 49% of the state’s rare plant species are dependent upon wetlands.

Seedbox

Tall Beak-rushEnglish Sundew

Michigan Wetlands

Highly specialized plants – including the carnivorous pitcher plant and sundew – are found in bog environments where the chemistry of the soils limits the availability of plant nutrients.

Michigan Wetlands

In addition, the conservation and restoration of wetlands may reduce future flooding

Michigan Wetlands

Headwater wetlands

These wetlands maintain the flow and quality of headwater trout streams and other waters, gradually discharging cool, clear water throughout the summer months.

Michigan Wetlands

When wetlands are lost, our waters, and our watersheds, and our wildlife suffer:

• With the loss of flood storage, damage to agricultural and urban lands increases.

• With the loss of summer recharge from wetlands, stream flow declines and water tables drop.

• As the wetland buffers between uplands and our open waters are lost, shoreline erosion and pollution of those waters increases.

Michigan Wetlands

And, of Course, Loss of Fish and Wildlife Habitat

Wetland Permitting

Michigan Wetlands

A wetland permit is required from the DEQ to: Place fill material in a wetland

Dredge soil or minerals from a wetland Construct, operate or maintain a use or development in a wetland Drain surface water from a wetland

Michigan Wetlands

Widening the RoadImpacts to wetlands outside the

existing road footprint/ditch requires a permit

Michigan Wetlands

1. Avoidance

2. Minimization

3. Mitigation• Replace unavoidably lost wetland resources with created or restored wetlands

• Ensure no net loss of wetland functions and values.

• Minimize impacts to wetland.• Different location, configuration, size, or method.

• Do feasible and prudent alternatives exist?• Different location, configuration, size, or method.

In general, a permit applicant must follow these regulatory principles:

Michigan Wetlands

Avoidance

• The NO impact option– Planning the project to avoid any and all

wetland impacts.

– This requires good baseline information during the initial planning phases of the project

Michigan Wetlands

DEQ Wetland Map Viewer

Michigan Wetlands

Facilitating DEQ Review• Correctly identify the

location of the wetlands• Provide an assessment of

the functions and values of the wetlands, including impact areas

• Provide a detailed review of the steps that were taken to avoid and minimize the impacts to the wetlands

• Provide an appropriate mitigation proposal

Michigan Wetlands

No Two Projects are the SameRiver vs. Stream

Michigan Wetlands

Marsh vs. Bog

Michigan Wetlands

Swamp vs. Swamp

Some forested wetlands can be hard to recognize

Wetland Mitigation

Michigan Wetlands

1. Avoidance

2. Minimization

3. Mitigation• Replace unavoidably lost wetland resources with created or restored wetlands

• Ensure no net loss of wetland functions and values.

• Minimize impacts to wetland.• Different location, configuration, size, or method.

• Do feasible and prudent alternatives exist?• Different location, configuration, size, or method.

In general, a permit applicant must follow these regulatory principles:

Once the DEQ determines that an impact is “acceptable”, then,

and only then, can mitigation be discussed.

Michigan Wetlands

Ratios for in-kind mitigation required by the administrative rules:

• 5:1 ratio for impacts to rare or imperiled wetland types.

• 2:1 ratio for impacts to forested wetlands, coastal wetlands (not covered above), and wetlands that border upon inland lakes.

• 1.5:1 ratio for impacts to all other wetland types.

• 10:1 ratio when mitigation is preservation.• The ratios are doubled for after-the-fact permits.

Ratios are increased for out-of-kind Mitigation.

Michigan Wetlands

Mitigation- Continued < 0.1 acre None Required 0.1- 1/3 acre per wetland complex and less than 1 acre per project (1:1 Ratio, any kind any where, for projects that meet the minor project category) > 1/3 acre Standard Ratios

MDOT mitigates all impacts

Michigan Wetlands

The administrative rules require that mitigation should be on-site or in the same watershed.

Michigan Wetlands

The restoration of previously existing wetlands is preferred over the creation of new wetlands where none previously existed.

Restoration

Areas with drained hydric soils offer the best opportunity for wetland restoration

Michigan Wetlands

•In these areas, hydrology re-establishment can be relatively easy by breaking tiles, filling in drains, and/or re-establishing the wetlands watershed•Seed Source may still exist, but supplemental seeding is recommended and may be required•Habitat Structures will be required in most instances

Restoration

Areas with drained hydric soils offer the best opportunity for wetland restoration

Michigan Wetlands

Wetland Creation

• Traditional wetland creation project:

• Difficult to establish appropriate hydrology (groundwater levels)

• No existing seed source or hydric soil

• Expensive (lots of excavation)

Michigan Wetlands

Mitigation Follow-upPrior to releasing the financial assurance bond/letter of credit, applicant must provide evidence that the following criteria has been met:

• Compliance with Permit Conditions• Acceptable Monitoring Reports Submitted• Met Goals Outlined in Performance

Standards

Michigan Wetlands

Mitigation bankingAcquisition of wetland mitigation bank credits may be approved as mitigation by the DEQ.

Mitigation banking:• establishes mitigation in advance of loss.• consolidates small mitigation projects.• can reduce uncertainty regarding mitigation availability.• can encourage integration of mitigation and watershed planning.

Transportation Agencies can establish their own mitigation banks.

Michigan Wetlands

May be considered as mitigation only if the wetlands:

• perform exceptional physical or biological functionsor are an ecological type that is rare or endangered,• are under a demonstrable threat of loss or substantial degradation not under the control of the applicant and that are not otherwise restricted by state law, and • permanent protection of the wetlands is provided.

Preservation of Existing Wetlands

Michigan Wetlands

Although rarely used, opportunities do exist to preserve wetlands, particularly with Rare and Imperiled Wetlands Habitats

Preservation of Existing Wetlands

Troll Bog, Luce County

Michigan Wetlands

Prairie Fen

Michigan Wetlands

Lakeplain Prairie

Michigan Wetlands

Coastal Plain Marsh

Michigan Wetlands

Long-term Management and Protection May be Required

Michigan Wetlands

Michigan Natural Features Inventory

• http://web4.msue.msu.edu/mnfi/• Information relating to Michigan’s special

plants, animals, and communities• Good resource for information on how to

recognize these special features

Michigan Wetlands

32 Years after passage of the Wetlands Protection Act, better scientific understanding of wetlands is supporting more efficient and effective management of Michigan’s wetland resources.

Michigan Wetlands

Questions?Questions?

www.michigan.gov/wetlands