Final Report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7:

Developing a Missouri Wetland Program Plan (CD-97738401)

I. Missouri Wetland Program Plan II. Missouri Wetland Rapid Assessment Method (MORAM)

Botanical Conditions Report from MORAM sites

Wetland Assessment – Lower Grand River Watershed III. Education and Outreach

John Horton Water Resources Center

Missouri Geological Survey Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Dr. Joe Ely Department of Biology and Agriculture

University of Central Missouri

June 30, 2017

Disclaimer:

Although the information in this document has been funded wholly or in part by the U.S. EPA under assistance agreement CD-97738401 to Missouri Department of Natural Resources, it has not been subjected to Agency’s publications review process and therefore, may not necessarily reflect the views of the Agency and no official endorsement should be inferred.

Abstract

This final report describes the activities and deliverables completed for the EPA, Region 7 Wetland Program Development Grant (CD-97738401) awarded to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The following are the three main portions of the grant:

1. The Missouri Wetland Program Plan 2. The Missouri Rapid Assessment Method for wetlands (MORAM) 3. Education and Outreach activities

The complete versions of the Missouri Wetland Program Plan and the MORAM will be provided to EPA as stand-alone documents separate from this document. The education and outreach activities conducted as part of this grant are discussed in the last part (III) of this document.

Table of Contents

ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................................ 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................ 4

LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................................ 6

LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................................... 6

I MISSOURI WETLAND PROGRAM PLAN (MWPP) ..................................................................... 7 Grant Deliverable for the Missouri Wetland Program Plan .................................................................................... 7 Summary of the Missouri Wetland Program Plan .................................................................................................. 7 Links to MWPP Document ..................................................................................................................................... 7

II MISSOURI WETLAND RAPID ASSESSMENT METHOD (MORAM) ....................................... 8 Grant Deliverables for MORAM ............................................................................................................................. 8 Intent of the MORAM ............................................................................................................................................ 8 MORAM Team ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 MORAM Development .......................................................................................................................................... 8

2013 Development Phase ......................................................................................................................................... 8 2014 Field Season and Methodology Refinement .................................................................................................... 9 MORAM Methodology Finalization ......................................................................................................................... 11 Resources Needed to Complete the MORAM ......................................................................................................... 11

Lower Grand River Watershed Wetland Assessment and Botanical Conditions Report of MORAM Reference Sites (2014) .................................................................................................................................................................. 11

III EDUCATION AND OUTREACH .................................................................................................... 12 Grant Deliverable for Education and Outreach .................................................................................................... 12 Education and Outreach Concept ........................................................................................................................ 12 September 2013 .................................................................................................................................................. 12

Missouri Wetland Program Plan Development ....................................................................................................... 12 October 2013 ....................................................................................................................................................... 12

Wetland Best Management Practices for Soil and Water Conservation ................................................................. 12 November 2013 ................................................................................................................................................... 12

Missouri Wetland Program Plan and MORAM Development ................................................................................. 12 April 2014 ............................................................................................................................................................ 13

Missouri Academy of Science .................................................................................................................................. 13 July 2014 .............................................................................................................................................................. 14

Mentoring of Graduate Student in Wetland Science .............................................................................................. 14 Wetland Plant Field Discussion with Wildlife Refuge Staff ..................................................................................... 14 Wetland Training for Pershing State Park Intern .................................................................................................... 15 Missouri Wetland Program Plan Posted on Web .................................................................................................... 15

October 2014 ....................................................................................................................................................... 17 NWMAWG Meeting in Denver ................................................................................................................................ 17

November 2014 ................................................................................................................................................... 17 Student Wetland Soils Exercise ............................................................................................................................... 17

December 2014 .................................................................................................................................................... 17

ASWM and MoDNR Collaboration and Updates ..................................................................................................... 17 January 2015........................................................................................................................................................ 17

MoDNR and MDC Joint Water Resources Meeting ................................................................................................. 17 February 2015 ...................................................................................................................................................... 17

National Hydrography Dataset Workgroup ............................................................................................................. 17 May 2015 ............................................................................................................................................................. 18

Function Based Wetland Restoration, EPA Region 7............................................................................................... 18 Lincoln University Wetland Restoration Proposal Tour .......................................................................................... 19

June 2015 ............................................................................................................................................................ 20 Planning for Lincoln University Wetland Restoration Project ................................................................................. 20 MDC Wetland Workshop ........................................................................................................................................ 20

August 2015 ......................................................................................................................................................... 21 Pre-Construction Plant Inventory at Lincoln University Wetland Project ............................................................... 21 Interpretive Signs for Lincoln Wetland .................................................................................................................... 21 Wetland Specialist Internship Idea .......................................................................................................................... 21

September 2015 .................................................................................................................................................. 22 Tour of Jefferson City Area Wetlands for MoDNR Group ....................................................................................... 22

October 2015 ....................................................................................................................................................... 22 Central Chapter of the Society of Wetland Scientists ............................................................................................. 22 Presentation to the Association of Missouri Geologists ......................................................................................... 22 Wetland Soils Class at Knob Noster State Park ....................................................................................................... 23 Wetland and Water Resources Outreach at MU ..................................................................................................... 24

November 2015 ................................................................................................................................................... 24 Interpretive Trail Signage Concept Development at LU .......................................................................................... 24

January 2016........................................................................................................................................................ 24 Wetland Specialist Internship Interviews ................................................................................................................ 24

February 2016 ...................................................................................................................................................... 24 Lincoln University Wetland Interpretive Signage Design Concept .......................................................................... 24 Lincoln University Wetland Monitoring Station Installation ................................................................................... 25

March 2016 .......................................................................................................................................................... 26 Student Sign Designs ............................................................................................................................................... 26 Lincoln University Wetland Plants Education Day ................................................................................................... 26

April 2016 ............................................................................................................................................................ 30 Wetland Monitoring Station Tour, Carver Wetland ................................................................................................ 30

May – September 2016 ........................................................................................................................................ 30 Wetland Specialist Internship ................................................................................................................................. 30

October 2016 ....................................................................................................................................................... 33 Final Sign Designs for Wetland Interpretive Trail .................................................................................................... 33

November 2016 ................................................................................................................................................... 36 EPA Region 7, ESTP Wetland Workshop .................................................................................................................. 36

December 2016 .................................................................................................................................................... 36 Lincoln University Wetland Interpretive Signage Installation ................................................................................. 36

March 2017 .......................................................................................................................................................... 40 Tour Group at Lincoln University ............................................................................................................................ 40

June 2017 ............................................................................................................................................................ 40 Wetland Plant Identification Webinar..................................................................................................................... 40 Missouri Resources Magazine Article ...................................................................................................................... 41

List of Figures

Figure 1. Map of 2013 and 2014 MORAM sites. ......................................................................................... 10 Figure 2. Wetland science outreach poster. ............................................................................................... 13 Figure 3. Wetland Types outreach poster. ................................................................................................. 14 Figure 4. Mentoring graduate student in wetland science. ........................................................................ 15 Figure 5. Outreach discussion at Swan Lake NWR ...................................................................................... 16 Figure 6. Soils training with Pershing State Park intern .............................................................................. 16 Figure 7. EPA Region 7 wetland soils training. ............................................................................................ 18 Figure 8. Wetland restoration at EPA workshop ........................................................................................ 19 Figure 9. Planting wetland species at restoration site ................................................................................ 19 Figure 10. MDC Wetland workshop. ........................................................................................................... 20 Figure 11. Plant inventory of Lincoln University restoration site. .............................................................. 21 Figure 12. Wetland soil core at MoDOT mitigation site. ............................................................................ 22 Figure 13. Poster for the Association of Missouri Geologists tour. ............................................................ 23 Figure 14. Installing the wetland monitoring well. ..................................................................................... 25 Figure 15. Wetland monitoring station at Lincoln University restoration project. .................................... 26 Figure 16. Dr. Ely explains wetland plant characteristics. .......................................................................... 28 Figure 17. Lincoln University personnel assist with establishing native wetland plants. ........................... 28 Figure 18. Students enjoying the wetland planting project. ...................................................................... 29 Figure 19. The LU Wildlife Club helping the restoration efforts. ................................................................ 29 Figure 20. News article from Brownfield’s AgNews website. ..................................................................... 30 Figure 21. Blue Flag Iris growing in LU wetland. ......................................................................................... 31 Figure 22. Arrowhead (left) and buttonbush. ............................................................................................. 31 Figure 23. Monarch caterpillar (left) and butterfly using milkweed established at LU wetland. ............... 32 Figure 24. MoDNR wetland specialist intern sampling wetland soils. ........................................................ 32 Figure 25. Wetland specialist intern assessing wetland conditions. .......................................................... 33 Figure 26.Wetland Restoration Project interpretive trail sign design. ....................................................... 33 Figure 27. Wetland Ecosystem design. ....................................................................................................... 34 Figure 28. Common Wetland Animals design. ............................................................................................ 34 Figure 29. Common Missouri Wetland Plants design. ................................................................................ 35 Figure 30. Wetland Meteorological Station and Groundwater Observation Well design. ......................... 35 Figure 31. Students placing interpretive signs in concrete. ........................................................................ 36 Figure 32. Introduction sign on the interpretive trail. ................................................................................ 37 Figure 33. Wetland Ecosystem sign along trail. .......................................................................................... 37 Figure 34. Common Missouri Wetland Plants sign along the trail. ............................................................ 38 Figure 35. Common Wetland Animals sign along the trail. ........................................................................ 38 Figure 36. Student volunteers mixing concrete to secure signs. ................................................................ 39 Figure 37. Wetland monitoring station sign along the trail. ....................................................................... 39 Figure 38. Interpretive trail overview. ........................................................................................................ 40 Figure 39. Wetland restoration posted in the Missouri Resources magazine. ........................................... 41

List of Tables

Table 1. 2013 MORAM sites. ......................................................................................................................... 9 Table 2. 2014 MORAM sample sites. .......................................................................................................... 10 Table 3. List of native plants used at the LU restoration wetland .............................................................. 27

I Missouri Wetland Program Plan (MWPP)

Grant Deliverable for the Missouri Wetland Program Plan

Missouri Wetland Program Plan (submitted by MoDNR and approved by EPA Region 7 in July 2014; resubmitted with this report as a stand-alone document)

Summary of the Missouri Wetland Program Plan

Missouri’s wetlands are as diverse as the benefits they provide. They occur as marshes along the major rivers or as tiny fens in the rugged Ozark hills. Tracts of bottomland forests are widespread and scrub-shrub swamps can be found along certain Missouri streams. The benefits are economic, environmental, and social. Wetlands provide flood water retention, water quality improvement, sediment retention, and wildlife habitat. Wetlands can provide unique places to enjoy natural settings for plants and birds not often seen elsewhere. Wetlands also provide recreational areas for bird watching, photography, and sport hunting. Unfortunately, wetlands are not as numerous as they were before settlement of the country. Most wetlands in Missouri have been drained or filled. The remaining wetlands in Missouri occur both on public and private lands. Sometimes little is known about the functions that occur in these unique ecosystems. Many times they face the threat of destruction by filling or draining due to urbanization, road construction, and agriculture. Therefore it is important to promote the further understanding and protection of wetlands in Missouri through a Missouri Wetland Program Plan (MWPP).

Those persons concerned with managing and protecting wetland resources are also diverse. Federal and state agencies, academia, and private interests are all involved in protecting, managing and studying Missouri’s wetland resources. Some of these agencies regulate wetlands to protect habitats and functions. Universities and other agencies help monitor and promote scientific knowledge about wetlands and their rare or endangered inhabitants. Other entities, both private and governmental, provide incentives and assistance for restoring wetlands. The MWPP is a product of collaboration from these diverse entities.

The goal of the MWPP is to provide a coherent and concise collection of wetland education, management, monitoring, restoration, and protection activities planned for the State of Missouri. This document addresses EPA’s four core elements of a state wetland program plan and an additional core element titled education. The core elements of this plan include: 1) Monitoring and Assessment; 2) Regulation; 3) Voluntary Restoration and Protection; 4) Water Quality Standards; and 5) Education. Outlined in the MWPP are the actions and timeframes provided by those entities that have contributed to the Missouri Wetland Program Plan. The timeframe for the MWPP is 2013-2018.

Links to MWPP Document

The MWPP was submitted to EPA Region 7 and approved in July 2014. It is being resubmitted as a stand-alone document along with other deliverables relevant to this grant. It is also available on the internet through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR) and EPA websites. The MWPP is posted on the MoDNR Water Resources Center wetland webpage at: http://dnr.mo.gov/geology/wrc/wetlands.htm . The MWPP can also be found on the EPA website at: https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/state-and-tribal-wetland-program-plans#r7.

II Missouri Wetland Rapid Assessment Method (MORAM)

Grant Deliverables for MORAM

Missouri Rapid Assessment Operations Manual (submitted as a stand-alone document)

MORAM Field Data Sheets (submitted as a stand-alone document)

Spreadsheets containing field data sheets (digital format, stand-alone)

MORAM assessments and botanical conditions for select wetland sites in the Lower Grand River Watershed (submitted as a stand-alone document)

Intent of the MORAM

The Missouri Rapid Assessment Method (MORAM) is intended to be a tool for natural resource professionals to assess wetland site conditions. An ecological definition of wetlands is used for this assessment. The MORAM is not intended to be used for delineating jurisdictional wetlands or to develop mitigation credits. Ecological wetlands include all the characteristics of jurisdictional wetlands but can also be broader in scope to include more hydrogeomorphic areas such as entire floodplains and alluvial terraces. The MORAM should take experienced natural resource professionals 3-4 hours to complete the field portion depending on site complexity.

MORAM Team

MORAM team members should be natural resource professionals or individuals schooled in ecological sciences. Team members should have a working knowledge of botany\plant ID, soils, hydrology, and GIS. The team should consist of a soils\hydrology\buffer specialist and a lead botanist. It is not essential, but very helpful, for each specialist to be accompanied by an assistant to record data. Field crews conducting the MORAM should be competent or familiar in the following areas:

Botany and plant identification

Surveying and sampling of vegetation

Wetland classification (hydrogeomorphic, Cowardin, etc.)

Basic soils terminology and profile description

Hydrology and watershed concepts

The Terrestrial Natural Communities of Missouri concept (book by Paul Nelson)

Soil and landform relationships

GIS and aerial photo interpretation

MORAM Development

The MORAM was developed over the course of two summer growing seasons in 2013 and 2014 by University of Central Missouri (UCM) associate professor Dr. Joe Ely and MoDNR hydrologist John Horton. The authors researched other methods throughout the nation in the development process. They also used knowledge gained from the 2011 National Wetland Condition Assessment (NWCA), as they were both team members on the Missouri field crew. Here they learned the principles of conducting a rapid wetland assessment.

2013 Development Phase The 2013 field season was used as a developmental phase of the MORAM. Sites (Table 1) throughout the state were chosen to represent different physiographic regions of Missouri because of the wide range of wetland types and botanical species (Figure 1). Two wetland sites from each of the five

physiographic regions were used to develop a working draft of the current MORAM. The following are the 2013 sites used in the initial stages of methodology development:

Bootheel and Mississippi Alluvial region -Duck Creek Conservation Area, Otter Slough Conservation Area,

Ozark region - Big Buffalo Creek Conservation Area, Saline Valley Conservation Area

North Missouri Glaciated plains region - Chloe Lowry Conservation Area and Bee Hollow Conservation Area

Osage Plains region – Ida Oxbow (private wetland), Knob Noster State Park

Missouri River floodplain wetlands – Marion Bottoms Conservation Area and Franklin Island Conservation Area.

Site ID 2013 Sample Sites Date Sampled

DC_PFO Duck Creek Conservation Area 8/6/2013

OS_PFO Otter Slough Conservation Area 8/7/2013

MB_PEM Marion Bottoms Conservation Area 7/11/2013

CL_PEM Chloe Lowry Conservation Area 7/3/2013

BB_PEM Big Buffalo Creek Conservation Area 7/10/2013

IO_PSS Ida Oxbow (private land) 7/16/2013

SV_PEM Saline Valley Conservation Area 6/13/2013

BH_PEM Bee Hollow Conservation Area 6/20/2013

FI_PEM Franklin Island Conservation Area 6/11/2013

KN_PSS Knob Noster State Park 6/19/2013 Table 1. 2013 MORAM sites.

2014 Field Season and Methodology Refinement During the summer of 2014, thirteen wetland sites (Table 2) within the Lower Grand River watershed were selected and used to refine the MORAM methodology. The wetland sites were located in the following general areas within the Lower Grand River watershed:

Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Locust Creek Conservation Area

Yellow Creek Conservation Area

Fountain Grove Conservation Area

Pershing State Park

Site ID 2014 Sample Sites Sample Date

FG_PEM_1 Fountain Grove Conservation Area (near area HQ) 7/1/2014

SL_PEM_1 Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge (road, coreopsis) 7/2/2014

SL_PEM_2 Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge (M4) 7/9/2014

SL_PEM_3 Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge (M5) 7/9/2014

SL_PEM_4 Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge (M3) 7/10/2014

YC_PFO_1 Yellow Creek Conservation Area (alluvial depression) 7/15/2014

PS_PEM_1 Pershing State Park (tower and boardwalk) 7/16/2014

SL_PFO_1 Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge (East entrance,

south of road) 7/23/2014

LC_PEM_1 Locust Creek Conservation Area (Pool 2) 7/24/2014

PS_PEM_2 Pershing State Park (East Zell tract) 7/29/2014

PS_PEM_3 Pershing State Park (West Zell tract) 7/30/2014

YC_PSS_1 Yellow Creek Conservation Area (oxbow, buttonbush) 8/6/2014

SL_PSS_1 Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge (East of M3, south of

M1) 8/13/2014 Table 2. 2014 MORAM sample sites.

Figure 1. Map of 2013 and 2014 MORAM sites.

MORAM Methodology Finalization MORAM methodology finalization began after the 2013 and 2014 field seasons. Lessons learned from both field seasons, data analyses and the iterative process of evaluating multiple sites produced a workable wetland assessment tool.

The MORAM enables the investigator to assess and score ecological conditions at Missouri wetlands. Once the fieldwork is completed and the data are processed correctly, the MORAM will provide the natural resource professional with an inventory and/or score of the following:

Site location information

Assessment area site sketch

Wetland classification (Missouri general type, Cowardin, Missouri Terrestrial Natural Community, and Hydrogeomorphic)

Vegetation assessment (Species and Sample Quantitative Data)

Soil assessment (profile description, hydric indicators, summary score)

Hydrology assessment (inventory of indicators, assessment scores)

Buffer conditions (width, continuity, overall conditions score)

MORAM final assessment scores and interpretations

Resources Needed to Complete the MORAM The documents needed to complete the MORAM are not included in this report because of size constraints. This suite of documents will be available submitted as stand-alone documents to this report. These stand-alone documents include:

The MORAM Operations Manual

Field data sheets

Digital field data sheets for post processing field data

Lower Grand River Watershed Wetland Assessment and Botanical Conditions Report of MORAM Reference Sites (2014)

The Lower Grand River Watershed wetland assessment (via MORAM) and botanical conditions report of select wetland sites is being submitted as a stand-alone document due to its size and complexity. Site data sheets from the 2014 MORAM sampling effort will also be submitted as a stand-alone set of spreadsheet files.

III Education and Outreach

Grant Deliverable for Education and Outreach

Chronological listing and summaries of wetland education and outreach activities conducted throughout the grant timeframe.

Education and Outreach Concept

The remainder of this document lists the grant activities that were conducted for the benefit of wetlands education and outreach. In addition, outreach and education activities in support of the Missouri Wetland Program Plan and partners who helped contribute to the plan are listed. Education and outreach activities included various interactions with groups to promote wetland science and conservation. Also listed are presentations and interactions with groups to support core elements in the MWPP which are also an important component to education and outreach. Many of the activities involved working with college students in the natural resources field.

September 2013

Missouri Wetland Program Plan Development Presentation John Horton gave a presentation to the MoDNR Water Quality Coordinating Committee about the MWPP. The presentation focused on the core elements of the MWPP and the collaborators who came together to draft the document. The group included members from MoDNR’s Water Protection Program and the Water Resources Center. The University of Missouri Extension office also sent a representative that was in attendance.

October 2013

Wetland Best Management Practices for Soil and Water Conservation John Horton, Steve McIntosh and Kurt Boeckmann of MoDNR attended a meeting to discuss developing wetland best management practices (BMPs) for the Soil and Water Conservation Program. Discussions were held with MDC personnel about developing cost share practices that promote wetland restoration and conservation. MDC Private Lands Specialists and Wetland Services Biologist indicated there was an interest in developing small practices to promote water quality and provide additional wildlife habitat. Practices such as saturated buffers and catchment basins were discussed. The meeting was held in Chillicothe at the MDC office on October 16th.

November 2013

Missouri Wetland Program Plan and MORAM Development John Horton and Dr. Joe Ely gave a presentation about the MWPP and MORAM at the Interagency Review Team meeting on November 14th. The presentation focused on the core elements of the MWPP and the collaborators who came together to draft the document. Secondly, the presentation was used to explain the MORAM. The meeting was held at the USFWS Columbia, Missouri office. The USCOE, USFWS, EPA Region 7, and MoDNR participated in the meeting to discuss wetland and other water resources issues.

April 2014

Missouri Academy of Science John Horton conducted outreach to college and high school students at the Missouri Academy of Science annual meeting. On April 25 and 26, the Missouri Academy of Science meeting was held at the University of Central Missouri. High school science and college students from around Missouri gathered to present science based research projects on which they had been working. Two posters were used to present basic wetland concepts to students attending the meeting during an open poster session. The first poster (Figure 2) explained the basic approach to wetland science and the ecosystem services they provide. The second poster (Figure 3) presented the different types of wetlands that occur in Missouri so the students could imagine the diverse nature of types.

Figure 2. Wetland science outreach poster.

Figure 3. Wetland Types outreach poster.

July 2014

Mentoring of Graduate Student in Wetland Science Graduate student Ryan Reece from University of Central Missouri assisted with fieldwork during the 2014 summer MORAM data collection effort. During this field season, he learned the basics of wetland assessment while working alongside botanist Dr. Joe Ely on thirteen sampling events. He was instructed in the basics of wetland plant identification, taxonomy, and botanical collection methods (Figure 4). He also collected and archived wetland plant specimens for the UCM herbarium. Reece also received training in wetland soils and hydrology assessment. This education opportunity was invaluable as he was able to immerse himself in wetland science for nearly eight weeks and learn at a scale not possible in a normal college course.

Wetland Plant Field Discussion with Wildlife Refuge Staff On July 9, wetland outreach was conducted with Steve Whitson, the manager at Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and a summer college intern. Joe Ely, graduate student Ryan Reece, and John Horton discussed plants, soils and wetland hydrology at different management units within the refuge.

Vegetation composition and diversity in different management plots was discussed along with the role of hydrology (Figure 5). The refuge manager and intern found the field discussions helpful because of the diverse amount of wetland plants that occur at Swan Lake. Plant species inventoried during MORAM fieldwork were provided in a botanical list for the refuge manager.

Wetland Training for Pershing State Park Intern During the 2014 MORAM fieldwork season, John Horton and Dr. Joe Ely worked with the Pershing State Park superintendent to conduct research on the area. Tom Woodward, the park superintendent, asked if the park’s summer naturalist intern could receive training in wetland assessment techniques while the team worked in the park. This education opportunity gave a college student intern the chance to work with natural resource professionals conducting field data collection. The MORAM team discussed the vegetation communities, hydric soils, wetland characteristics and hydrology indicators. The intern learned to describe a wetland soil (Figure 6) and identify a many different hydrophytic plants. Site stressors such as sedimentation and invasive species were identified and documented.

Missouri Wetland Program Plan Posted on Web Webpage managers for MoDNR posted the MWPP on the MoDNR Water Resources Center webpage for public access. The EPA-approved MWPP will provide education and outreach by giving the public information about wetland activities and management in the state. The MWPP is also posted on the EPA website in the Region 7 section of state wetland program plans.

Figure 4. Mentoring graduate student in wetland science.

Figure 5. Outreach discussion at Swan Lake NWR

Figure 6. Soils training with Pershing State Park intern

October 2014

NWMAWG Meeting in Denver John Horton attended the National Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Workgroup (NWMAWG) meeting on October 27-29 in Denver, Colorado. The focus of this meeting was to plan for the 2016 NWCA. Results and lessons of the 2011 NWCA survey were also discussed to serve as a learning tool for crews going into the 2016 NWCA. Interaction with the states and EPA headquarters led to a productive forum for which to improve the nationwide assessment effort. The workshop also provided a forum for agencies to interact and discuss state wetland programs.

November 2014

Student Wetland Soils Exercise On November 10th, John Horton assisted Dr. Joe Ely in giving wetland assessment instruction to his wetland ecology class at the University of Central Missouri. John Horton led a student exercise to assess soils and hydrology at the Ralph and Martha Perry Conservation Area in Johnson County, Missouri. Students were taught how to describe a soil profile and determine hydric soil indicators. A variety of soils and wetland types were examined during the half day field exercise. Wetland plants were identified, soils were described, and hydrology indicators were determined in a palustrine emergent marsh, a wet meadow, and an oxbow slough.

December 2014

ASWM and MoDNR Collaboration and Updates John Horton and Stacia Bax, both authors of the MWPP, assisted with updating the Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM) online state wetland program summaries for Missouri. On December 1st, a teleconference meeting was held to discuss state summaries with Jeanne Christie, the director of ASWM. This cooperation between MoDNR and ASWM is an outreach effort to keep the public informed about wetland issues and information.

January 2015

MoDNR and MDC Joint Water Resources Meeting John Horton and Stacia Bax attended the MoDNR and MDC joint meeting on water resources. Discussions were held about different water resources issues. John Horton gave a briefing and discussed the MWPP with attendees at the meeting. Stacia Bax of MoDNR 401/404 Certification Section also discussed cooperation between MDC and MoDNR on Clean Water Act permitting and issue resolution.

February 2015

National Hydrography Dataset Workgroup John Horton participated in the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) workgroup survey to give input about the value of the NHD to agencies. Input about the importance of NHD as a tool to assess wetlands was provided to the survey group. The workgroup survey that was facilitated by the USGS strove to get a broad representation of state and local agencies. Each member provided descriptions of the value of NHD to completing their agency’s work.

May 2015

Function Based Wetland Restoration, EPA Region 7 John Horton, Steve McIntosh and Dr. Joe Ely attended a function based wetland training that was held at EPA Region 7 on May 5-7. National wetland experts Ralph Tiner and Tom Biebighauser were on hand to provide training to participating state agencies and tribes. Ralph Tiner provided lessons on classifying and recognizing wetland indicators. Tom Biebighauser provided instruction on recognizing potential wetland restoration areas. He also led field exercises in examining soil and hydrology indicators (Figure 7). The training workshop ended with a wetland restoration project on Johnson County, Kansas park land. Workshop participants helped survey, layout and guide excavation crews in the creation of an emergent wetland (Figure 8). They finished with establishing wetland plant species and placing habitat structures within the wetland (Figure 9). This restored wetland is now an educational feature where park users can see a functioning wetland providing ecosystem services.

Figure 7. EPA Region 7 wetland soils training.

Figure 8. Wetland restoration at EPA workshop

Figure 9. Planting wetland species at restoration site

Lincoln University Wetland Restoration Proposal Tour Staff from MoDNR and Lincoln University toured Lincoln University’s Carver Farm to look at a proposed wetland restoration site on May 14th. Wildlife habitat, water quality benefits, and flood water storage are just some of the ecosystem services that this project was planned to provide. The restoration wetland was proposed to be a tool to teach citizens, school kids, and natural resource students about wetland resources and the valuable functions that wetlands provide.

Plans for the wetland structure were engineered by the NRCS. MoDNR’s Soil and Water Conservation Program proposed to offer 319 funding for the construction of the wetland area and the water control infrastructure. Education and outreach efforts to promote wetland ecosystem services were also a consideration in the purpose of the project.

June 2015

Planning for Lincoln University Wetland Restoration Project A planning meeting for the wetland restoration project at Lincoln University Carver Research Farm was held on June 4th. Staff from MoDNR’s Soil and Water Conservation Program, and the Water Resources Center, met with Jeremia Markway of LU Carver Farm to discuss the project funding status and contributions from collaborators. John Horton indicated that education and outreach contributions could be made to the restoration project. Involving LU students in the restoration project was proposed. Ideas such as holding planting days, habitat creation, and interpretive sign creation were discussed.

MDC Wetland Workshop John Horton participated in the MDC Wetland Management Workshop in Carrollton, Missouri on June 9th. The workshop, open to the public and governmental agencies, was a chance for those interested in wetland conservation to discuss wetland management issues. Topics at the workshop included maximizing wetland habitat through proper water control and plant management. Landowners and attendees learned by touring a private farm enrolled in the Wetland Reserve Program (Figure 10). Discussions about plant species and water management at a real world wetland provided an important learning event for those in attendance.

Figure 10. MDC Wetland workshop.

August 2015

Pre-Construction Plant Inventory at Lincoln University Wetland Project Botanist Joe Ely and hydrologist John Horton conducted a pre-construction plant inventory of the Lincoln University wetland restoration project site on August 10th (Figure 11). Ely compiled a list of plant species for the Carver farm manager to have a record of pre- construction conditions. Native and non-native invasive plant species were documented to provide the wetland manager with reference conditions prior to construction. A list of 129 species was documented in the pre-construction area. Non-native species accounted for 30%, or 39 species, found at the project site.

Figure 11. Plant inventory of Lincoln University restoration site.

Interpretive Signs for Lincoln Wetland John Horton met with graphic artist Mark Gordon of MoDNR’s Missouri Geological Survey to discuss options for education signage at the Lincoln University Carver Farm wetland restoration site. The interpretive trail concept with educational signs, common in the MoDNR state parks system, was discussed as an example for the project. Various designs and educational concepts to promote wetland ecosystem services were discussed. The idea of using LU natural resource students as the designers was discussed.

Wetland Specialist Internship Idea John Horton and Steve McIntosh worked with MoDNR human resources personnel to create an intern position as part of the Summer Professional Development Program. The intent of this position was to mentor a college student in wetland science and provide fieldwork experience doing wetland assessments. The intern was intended to assist MoDNR with data collection during the 2016 National Wetland Condition Assessment and other tasks involving wetland resources. The internship opportunity was announced via the web and through job fairs conducted by MoDNR human resources personnel.

September 2015

Tour of Jefferson City Area Wetlands for MoDNR Group On September 16, the MoDNR intra-departmental wetland workgroup held its quarterly meeting. An educational tour of local Jefferson City area wetland features was given for about 15 members of MoDNR and EPA Region 7. MoDOT’s Mari-Osa Delta wetland mitigation bank was the first tour stop. Stacia Bax discussed wetland mitigation banking with the group. John Horton gave members a walk-through of the site to examine the plants, soils, and hydrology of the floodplain mitigation area (Figure 12). The MDC Mari-Osa Boating Access was the second stop during the wetland outreach day. The Osage River bottomland forests gave tour members a first-hand look at a typical palustrine forested wetland along a large river in Missouri. The final stop on the tour was the Lincoln University Carver Farm wetland restoration site along the Moreau River. Here, an EPA 319 Grant through MoDNR assisted Lincoln University in creating a wetland in a farm field that was unproductive for agriculture.

Figure 12. Wetland soil core at MoDOT mitigation site.

October 2015

Central Chapter of the Society of Wetland Scientists The Central Chapter of the Society of Wetland Scientists held a wetland plant ID course on October 1st located at Grand Pass Conservation Area. This training event was an opportunity to meet other wetland professionals and discuss wetland plants and issues. John Horton attended the event along with MoDOT’s environmental section who had contributed to the MWPP. The training consisted of a classroom portion and a field exercise where attendees could identify wetland plants in a real world setting led by professional botanists.

Presentation to the Association of Missouri Geologists On October 3rd, John Horton gave a presentation to the Association of Missouri Geologists about wetland monitoring at the Little Bean Marsh Conservation Area. The presentation focused on MoDNR’s wetland monitoring station located on the area. The station records weather and groundwater

hydrology data along the Cottonwood Slough Natural Area. The station was installed as part of a previous EPA grant in 2010 with the intention of beginning a wetlands monitoring program. The site is useful for natural resource professionals as it gives real-time meteorological and hydrologic conditions available on the USGS/MoDNR groundwater website. Figure 13 is a small version of the educational poster that was used in the field to present information about the monitoring site. The poster included maps, photos and summaries to help explain the specifics about the monitoring project. Geologists and other attendees learned a lot about alluvial groundwater monitoring efforts at the Little Bean site and gained a greater appreciation of wetlands.

Figure 13. Poster for the Association of Missouri Geologists tour.

Wetland Soils Class at Knob Noster State Park On Oct. 14th, John Horton talked to Dr. Joe Ely’s Plant Ecology (BIOL 4709) class at University of Central Missouri about wetland science topics. He led a student exercise to assess soils and hydrology at Pin Oak

Slough Natural Area in Knob Noster State Park near Warrensburg. A variety of plants, soils and hydrology indicators were examined in palustrine scrub-shrub and palustrine forested wetlands. Students were taught how to describe a soil profile and determine the presence of hydric soil indicators. The education event included about ten undergraduate and graduate students.

Wetland and Water Resources Outreach at MU On October 16th, Steve McIntosh met with graduate students from the University of Missouri’s Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering to discuss water resources and wetland issues. Kathleen Trauth, a professor in the engineering department, thought that a presentation and discussion with a MoDNR representative would be helpful for her students learning about water resources. Professor Trauth contributed to the MWPP by providing several activities under the monitoring and assessment core element. Furthermore, the outreach event was used to promote wetland science collaboration between MoDNR and MU as mentioned in the MWPP.

November 2015

Interpretive Trail Signage Concept Development at LU On November 4th, John Horton met with Jeremia Markway of Lincoln University to further discuss educational signage for a wetland interpretive trail. Markway proposed constructing a gravel trail upslope from the wetland site. The trail would give users an unobstructed view of the wetland project. Interpretive signs along the vantage point would inform people of the unique characteristics of the project and ecosystem services that the wetland would provide. The importance of including LU students in the design process was discussed. Markway suggested that Dr. Adrian Andrei, a natural resources professor at LU, could offer student guidance with the project.

January 2016

Wetland Specialist Internship Interviews In August 2015, MoDNR Water Center Resources (John Horton and Steve McIntosh) created a wetland specialist internship position to assist with wetland work during the summer of 2016. Water Resources Center director Andrea Collier believed it was important to hire a college student as a summer intern to assist with the upcoming 2016 National Wetland Condition Assessment. She also wanted to provide an opportunity for a natural resources student to receive professional training in water resources work. Interviews were conducted from a pool of over 25 candidates. Miranda Brandt, a natural resources student from Lincoln University, was hired for the summer internship. Miss Brandt was chosen because she had outstanding grades in the core natural resources classes needed for wetland assessment work. She also had a base of knowledge and skills in botany, soils, GIS and natural resource management.

February 2016

Lincoln University Wetland Interpretive Signage Design Concept On February 23rd, John Horton met with Dr. Adrian Andrei of Lincoln University and his wildlife management class to discuss ideas for student designed interpretive signs. These signs would be used as part of an educational interpretive trail along the Carver wetland. Students were tasked with designing posters containing themes of wetland ecosystem services, wetland plants, and wetland animals. The students were given a month to complete their designs. The themed posters would then be compiled by a MoDNR graphic designer into consistent formatting and submitted to the sign manufacturer for construction. The eleven students were eager to participate in creating educational tools for the Carver Farm wetland project.

Lincoln University Wetland Monitoring Station Installation On Feb 29th, staff from MoDNR installed a wetland monitoring station along the wetland project at LU’s Carver Farm (Figures 14 and 15). The wetland monitoring station was programed to collect meteorological and groundwater data every half hour. The data is then broadcast hourly through the USGS Water Watch website. Weather instruments measure the parameters of air temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, precipitation, solar radiation, and wind speed/direction. Groundwater stage is measured with a submersible pressure transducer and static water levels are displayed on a hydrograph. This station is part of the MoDNR groundwater monitoring network that provides information to the public about water resources in the state. Data for the site are available here: http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/mo/nwis/uv/?site_no=383151092081601&PARAmeter_cd=72019

Figure 14. Installing the wetland monitoring well.

Figure 15. Wetland monitoring station at Lincoln University restoration project.

March 2016

Student Sign Designs John Horton met with Dr. Adrian Andrei’s wildlife management class at Lincoln University to discuss and critique final poster designs. In a February 23rd meeting, the students were tasked with designing conceptual signs for explaining a basic wetland ecosystem. Themes for the posters included common Missouri wetland plants, common wetlands animals, and ecosystem services provided by wetlands. Each student presented their design by PowerPoint presentation. Everyone would then critique the design for strong and weak points. The students learned a great deal about wetland ecosystems and how to convey the value of these areas to the public. The final designs were then taken to the MoDNR graphic designer for finishing and editing. The student involvement in designing the posters proved to be a great educational tool for training future natural resource professionals.

Lincoln University Wetland Plants Education Day John Horton and Dr. Joe Ely worked with Carver Farm manager Jeremia Markway to host a wetland plants educational workday on March 29th. The purpose of the workday was to teach LU students about the unique characteristics of wetland plants. Students that participated were from the LU Wildlife Club and agriculture department. After a brief presentation by Dr. Ely about wetland botany, students broke into teams to plant native Missouri species. Table 3 is a list of the native wetland plants that were planted during the education day. About 285 plants from 23 different species were planted in or along the wetland edge (see Figures 16 - 19).

The events of the educational planting day were also covered by the media. The Jefferson City News Tribune featured an article about the planting efforts. Additionally, an article about the field day was posted on the Brownfield AgNews for America website (Figure 20). A radio interview of farm manager Jeremia Markway highlighting the wetland project also accompanied the news release on the Brownfield website.

Scientific Name, Common Name Quantity

Amsonia illustris, Shining Blue Star 14

Asclepias incarnata, Marsh/Swamp Milkweed 18

Aster novae-angliae, New England Aster 17

Carex grayi, Globe Sedge 14

Cephalanthus occidentalis, Buttonbush 10

Cornus amomum, Silky Dogwood 8

Equisetum hyemale, Horsetail 14

Eupatorium purpureum, Joe Pye Weed 16

Helenium autumnale, Sneezeweed 14

Hibiscus lasiocarpos, Rose Mallow 14

Iris virginica, Southern Blue Flag 10

Juncus effusus, Soft Rush 16

Lobelia cardinalis, Cardinal Flower 14

Nuphar lutea, Spatterdock 8

Panicum virgatum, Switch Grass 14

Pontederia cordata, Pickerel Weed 6

Rudbeckia fulgida, Orange Coneflower 18

Rudbeckia subtomentosa, Sweet Coneflower 14

Sagittaria latifolia, Arrowhead/Duck Potato 14

Saururus cernuus, Lizard's tail 14

Scirpus atrovirens, Great Bulrush 8

Spartina pectinata, Prairie Cordgrass 8

Vernonia arkansana, Curlytop Ironweed 16

Table 3. List of native plants used at the LU restoration wetland

Figure 16. Dr. Ely explains wetland plant characteristics.

Figure 17. Lincoln University personnel assist with establishing native wetland plants.

Figure 18. Students enjoying the wetland planting project.

Figure 19. The LU Wildlife Club helping the restoration efforts.

Wetland plants complete Carver Farm manmade wetland

Posted March 29, 2016 by Tom Steever

A unique manmade wetland on Lincoln University’s George Washington Carver Farm in

Jefferson City is another step closer to completion with the planting of wetland species

Tuesday. Farm Manager Jeremia Markway tells Brownfield that university faculty and

students did the planting on the edge of a pond that is not common among universities.

“This is the only land grant institution in Missouri that has a wetland,” Markway said

Tuesday at the edge of the five acre pond, “so this offers [students] a unique opportunity

to get boots on the ground, kind of hands on education with learning about wetlands.”

Markway says the 12-acre wetland complex on Carver Farm provides an outdoor

laboratory, ground water recharge and biodiversity habitat.

“They’re native plants and it’s kind of helping them get a jump start on getting these

plant communities established here in the wetland,” said Markway. “A lot of these plants

would eventually come, but this is helping us speed up the process.”

The project, funded by EPA Region 7, through the Missouri Department of Natural

Resources, will eventually be seeded to native grasses and wildflowers to promote

populations of pollinators.

Figure 20. News article from Brownfield’s AgNews website.

April 2016

Wetland Monitoring Station Tour, Carver Wetland John Horton gave a presentation at Lincoln University Carver Farm for the EPA Region 7 Non-Point Source Program meeting. The water quality workshop was held on April 20th at Carver Farm’s conference room. The group was briefed on the EPA 319 grant that funded the construction of the wetland restoration project. The group then moved to the wetland site for a field tour of the project. John Horton gave an explanation of the monitoring station weather instruments and groundwater hydrology equipment that is used onsite. Tour participants asked questions about the wetland design, plants and habitat improvements included in this worthy project.

May – September 2016

Wetland Specialist Internship The wetland specialist internship created by MoDNR began on May 16th and continued through the summer months. Miranda Brandt, wetland specialist intern, began documenting site conditions at the LU Carver Farm wetland restoration project. She took photos of the wetland plants that were established during the March 29 planting event (Figures 21-23). In August and September monarch caterpillars and butterflies were seen using the swamp milkweed that was planted by students.

Miss Brandt also became a team member of the Missouri NWCA crew and trained for the 2016 national sampling effort. She learned the procedures of a wetland assessment where she became familiar with

hydrology indicators, buffer stressors, soil descriptions, and wetland classification. Miss Brandt assisted with all twenty NWCA sampling events throughout Missouri. The intense field sampling and repetition gave her invaluable experience in identifying and assessing wetland features (Figures 24 and 25).

Figure 21. Blue Flag Iris growing in LU wetland.

Figure 22. Arrowhead (left) and buttonbush.

Figure 23. Monarch caterpillar (left) and butterfly using milkweed established at LU wetland.

Figure 24. MoDNR wetland specialist intern sampling wetland soils.

Figure 25. Wetland specialist intern assessing wetland conditions.

October 2016

Final Sign Designs for Wetland Interpretive Trail Final sign designs were completed for the wetland interpretive trail at LU Carver Farm. Missouri Geological Survey graphic designer Mark Gordon took the student design concepts and made a template for the five interpretive signs (Figures 26 - 30). Themes for the signs include: project summary; wetland ecosystem; common wetland animals; common Missouri wetland plants; and information about a wetland monitoring station. Orders were placed for the signs with a tentative delivery date being late November.

Figure 26.Wetland Restoration Project interpretive trail sign design.

Figure 27. Wetland Ecosystem design.

Figure 28. Common Wetland Animals design.

Figure 29. Common Missouri Wetland Plants design.

Figure 30. Wetland Meteorological Station and Groundwater Observation Well design.

November 2016

EPA Region 7, ESTP Wetland Workshop Joe Ely and John Horton gave an outreach presentation at the EPA Region 7 Establishing State and Tribal Programs wetland workshop on November 14th. The two presenters explained the MORAM wetland concept and development procedure. John Horton outlined the methodology development procedures of the MORAM. He also elaborated on the assessment techniques for wetland hydrology, soils, and buffer stressors. The botanical assessment procedures were explained by Dr. Joe Ely.

December 2016

Lincoln University Wetland Interpretive Signage Installation On December 6th, the interpretive signs designed by Dr. Adrian Andrei’s LU wildlife management class, MoDNR hydrologist John Horton, and MoDNR graphic designer Mark Gordon were installed along the interpretive trail at the wetland restoration project (see Figures 31- 38). The gravel trail overlooking the wetland cell provides the viewer with a good vantage point. Staff from Carver Farm, the LU Wildlife Club, and MoDNR personnel joined efforts in installing the aluminum framed signs. To secure the signs in the ground, holes had to be augured and then the sign legs were concreted in place. There were approximately ten student volunteers that assisted with the installation.

Figure 31. Students placing interpretive signs in concrete.

Figure 32. Introduction sign on the interpretive trail.

Figure 33. Wetland Ecosystem sign along trail.

Figure 34. Common Missouri Wetland Plants sign along the trail.

Figure 35. Common Wetland Animals sign along the trail.

Figure 36. Student volunteers mixing concrete to secure signs.

Figure 37. Wetland monitoring station sign along the trail.

Figure 38. Interpretive trail overview.

March 2017

Tour Group at Lincoln University On March 28th, a group from the MoDNR Hazardous Waste Program toured the Carver Farm project to learn about wetland restoration. The tour group was interested in learning about the project because they are tasked with reclamation work at certain hazardous waste sites. The group saw value in the tour and expressed that things learned on the tour could be helpful in their future projects. John Horton led the tour and showed the group how it was constructed and explained the design concept. The group was shown how water levels are controlled and how the wetland vegetation is being managed.

June 2017

Wetland Plant Identification Webinar The Association of State Wetland Managers hosted a webinar presented by Dr. Joe Ely on June 1st. Education and outreach was provided to a national audience in which they learned about basics of wetland plant identification. This webinar was taught at a beginner or novice level and was open to anyone interested in learning about or improving their knowledge of plant terminology, the characteristics of common wetland plant families and species, and introducing the proper use of plant keying using various resources. Those just entering the world of wetlands and wetland plant identification benefited from learning the diagnostic characteristics of the most common wetland plant families and species in the Midwest. Those with some prior experience were able to refresh their skills and enhance their intermediate skills. This webinar began with an introduction to wetland plants and their adaptions to a wet environment. The goal of the webinar was to give basic information and tools on wetland plant identification. Specifically this webinar included an introduction to wetland plant adaptations, morphology, terminology, and structure and use of dichotomous keys. The nationwide audience included nearly 280 participants from various natural resources agencies and groups.

Missouri Resources Magazine Article A news brief in the MoDNR magazine Missouri Resources featured the wetland restoration project at Lincoln University Carver Farm (Figure 39). It described the funding source, goals for the project, and contributors. Missouri Resources is a quarterly publication that highlights different projects and missions within MoDNR. The Lincoln University wetland project was featured in the summer 2017 edition.

Figure 39. Wetland restoration posted in the Missouri Resources magazine.