Criteria Development Guidance

Wetlands

The Nutrient Criteria Technical Guidance Manual: Wetlands is one in a series of waterbody-specific documents that support the National Nutrient Strategy. The intent of this document is to provide states and tribes with methods to assess waterbody nutrient impairment and develop ecoregion-specific nutrient criteria. The wetlands document provides background information on classifying wetlands, selecting criteria variables, designing monitoring programs, building a database analyzing nutrient and algal data, deriving regional criteria, and implementing management practices.

The wetlands modules are a starting point to help states and tribes establish biological and nutrient water quality criteria specifically refined for wetlands.

Guidance Manual: Wetlands
- Fact sheet about the Guidance Manual (November 24, 2008)
Wetlands Modules

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Guidance Manual: Wetlands; EPA-822-B-08-001

Cover and Front Matter (PDF) (8 pp., 223 K)
- Table of Contents
- List of Figures
- List of URLs/References
Executive Summary
Chapter 1 & 2—Introduction and Overview (PDF) (19 pp., 693 K)
- Chapter 1: Introduction
  - Water Quality Standards and Criteria
  - Nutrient Enrichment Problems
  - Overview of the Criteria Development Process
  - Roadmap to the Document
- Chapter 2: Overview of Wetland Science
  - Introduction
  - Components of Wetlands
  - Wetland Nutrient Components
Chapter 3 & 4: Classifications and Sampling Design (PDF) (25 pp., 525 K)
- Chapter 3: Classifications of Wetlands
  - Introduction
  - Existing Wetland Classification Schemes
  - Sources of Information for Mapping Wetland Classes
  - Differences in Nutrient Reference Condition or Sensitivity to Nutrients among Wetland Classes
  - Recommendations
- Chapter 4: Sampling Design for Wetland Monitoring
  - Introduction
  - Considerations for Sampling Design
  - Sampling Protocol
  - Summary
Chapter 5 & 6: Candidate Variables and Database Development (PDF) (20 pp., 318 K)
- Chapter 5: Candiate Variables for Establishing Nutrient Criteria
  - Introduction
  - Overview of Candidate Variables
  - Supporting Variables
  - Causal Variables
  - Response Variables
- Chapter 6: Database Development and New Data Collection
  - Introduction
  - Databases and Database Management
  - Quality of Historical and Collected Data
  - Collecting New Data
  - Quality Assurance/Quality Control
Chapter 7 & 8: Data Analysis and Criteria Development (PDF) (16 pp., 460 K)
- Chapter 7: Data Analysis
  - Introduction
  - Factors Affecting Analysis Approach
  - Distribution-based Approaches
  - Reponse-based Approaches
  - Partitioning Effects Among Multiple Stressors
  - Statistical Techniques
  - Linking Nutrient Availability to Primary Producer Response
- Chapter 8: Criteria Development
  - Introduction
  - Methods for Developing Nutrients Criteria
  - Evaluation of Proposed Criteria
  - Interpreting and Applying Criteria
References (PDF) (33 pp., 179 K)
Appendices (PDF) (25 pp., 613 K)
- Acronyms and Glossary
- Case Study: Deriving a Phosphorus Criterion for the Florida Everglades
- Literature Cited
Full Wetlands Guidance document (PDF) (156 pp., 2.3 MB)

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Wetlands Modules

EPA prepared the following modules to give states and tribes "state-of-the-science" information that will help them develop biological assessment methods to evaluate both the overall ecological condition of wetlands and nutrient enrichment (one of the primary stressors on many wetlands).

Introduction to Wetland Biological Assessment (PDF) (42 pp., 1.6 MB)
Introduction to Wetland Nutrient Assessment¹
The State of Wetland Science¹
Study Design for Monitoring Wetlands (PDF) (21 pp., 468 K)
Administrative Framework for the Implementation of a Wetland Bioassessment Program¹
Developing Metrics and Indexes of Biological Integrity (PDF) (45 pp., 599 K)
Wetlands Classification (PDF) (43 pp., 2.2 MB)
Volunteers and Wetland Biomonitoring (PDF) (26 pp., 475 K)
Developing an Invertebrate Index of Biological Integrity for Wetlands (PDF) (57 pp., 1.56 MB)
Using Vegetation To Assess Environmental Conditions in Wetlands (PDF) (46 pp., 2.1 MB)
Using Algae To Assess Environmental Conditions in Wetlands (PDF) (49 pp., 812 K)
Using Amphibians in Bioassessments of Wetlands (PDF) (48 pp., 1.05 MB)
Biological Assessment Methods for Birds (PDF) (22 pp., 813 K)
Wetland Bioassessment Case Studies (PDF) (104 pp., 1.22 MB)
Bioassessment Methods for Fish¹
Vegetation-Based Indicators of Wetland Nutrient Enrichment (PDF) (29 pp., 874 K)
Land-Use Characterization for Nutrient and Sediment Risk Assessment (PDF) (17 pp., 443 K)
Biogeochemical Indicators (PDF) (44 pp., 1.3 MB)
Nutrient Loading (PDF) (43 pp., 948 K)
Wetland Hydrology (PDF) (45 pp., 1.46 MB)

1 These modules will no longer be produced. They have been incorporated into the Nutrient Criteria Technical Guidance Manual: Wetlands.

Water Quality Criteria | Water Quality Standards

Criteria Development Guidance

Wetlands

Guidance Manual: Wetlands; EPA-822-B-08-001

Wetlands Modules

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