Wetlands are areas that are inundated or saturated by surface water or ground water all year or for varying periods of time during the year. Water saturation (hydrology) largely determines how the soil develops and the types of plant and animal communities living in and on the soil. The prolonged presence of water creates conditions that favor the growth of specially adapted plants (hydrophytes) and promote the development of characteristic wetland (hydric) soils.  When most people think of wetlands they think of swamps, marshes, bogs and plants like cattails.  

But wetlands can also be areas where the ground soggy or spongy under foot at certain times a year, or low spots or depressions where water lies or pools for more than seven days and even places where springs or seeps are present.   Waiting for the “dry” season will not change whether or not an area is a wetland.  What is and isn’t a wetland is largely determined by sampling the soil.  Click here for some clues on identifying where wetlands might exist.

This is a great time to better understand what a wetland is, where wetlands can be found, and the importance of wetlands in your community. To learn more about wetlands visit the EPA's Wetlands Protection and Restoration page or their Wetlands Factsheet page.

Explore a wetland near you. Wetlands occur in all 50 states, so there is a good chance a scenic wetland exists nearby for you to visit and explore during American Wetlands Month and throughout the year! To find a wetland near you, consult your local parks department, state natural resource agency or the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wetlands Inventory.