Gardening & Wetlands
What's a "wetland"? How could my gardening
affect a wetland? Is this plant I'm considering about to become the
next Purple Loosestrife? This set of web pages started out with those
three questions and mushroomed from there; this was started as part of a project
for a biology course taken over Summer 2002.
All About Wetlands
My summer's condensation of fun facts about wetlands and links
to informative sites.
Gardening to Preserve Wetlands and Your Ecosystem's Health
With a little planning, you can reduce the impact of
your home's lawn and garden on your "ecosystem" and have something
beautiful to enjoy.
Wetland Health Evaluation (WHEP)
Wetland and Gardening
Information
Links to web resources, recommended books, links to
gov't & private agencies
Back to Carol's Home Page
What's A Wetland?
Is it a marsh? A bog? A wet meadow? Different
users have created various categories of wetlands, but these at the
Minnesota DNR are general enough
for most.
Technical Definition of Wetland Types in Minnesota
describes in more detail methods used for describing wetlands,
especially for delineating a wetland (mapping it out prior to allowing
development).
According to the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources,
a wetland must meet three criteria:
1. Soil that is mostly hydric
2. Standing water or saturated soil for part
of the growing season
3. Support mostly plants that grow in wet
soil
Water-loving plants, hydric (water-logged) soil, and water
for at least some of the year. That's the basic formula.
Typical wetland types found in the Midwest
include:
-
Marshes and Swamps both are covered with standing water
for part or all of the year. Marshes have lots of cattails, reeds,
while Swamps
have shrubs and woody vegetation.
-
Bogs -- found more in northern Minnesota, with peat (a
type of moss) soils and water close to the surface. Their acid soil
supports brushy growth, such as wild blueberries, and sedges, a grasslike
plant
-
Fens -- are better drained than bogs and richer soils,
covered with grasses, sedges, reeds and wildflowers. Some are almost
islands of vegetation floating on water.
-
Vernals pools -- temporary wetlands, such as in a cornfield,
that are wet in spring but dry up by summer.
-
Lakes and rivers are wet, but are not considered wetlands
as they typically lack the lush plant growth supported by the soggy
soil
What's A Wetland Good For (Other Than Mosquitoes!)
Benefits
of Wetlands
: Why not just drain that swamp? Here's what
a wetland is good for (Source: MN DNR,; wetland regulations
brochure):
Minnesota has lost 50% of its
original wetlands (11 million acres drained over the last
century), with some areas losing closer to 90%. So what?
Those drained swamps have become some of the richest farmland possible,
and others are now our homes and schools and businesses. But wetlands
have the following good points:
-
Flood Control: Slows runoff during heavy rainfall,
reducing flooding, plus collect snow melt in the spring, wetlands
are giant sponges that hold excess water, releasing it slowly into
their surroundings. Also protect downstream areas from erosion
-
Better water quality: Filter nutrients, sediments
and toxic materials from run-off before it reaches the river or
lake
-
Wildlife habitat: Bird, fish, frogs, beaver and
muskrat, plus ducks, herons and the like all live in wetlands. Millions
of ducks depend upon Minnesota wetlands for migration waypoints and
for summer breeding.
-
Recreation: Hunting, canoeing, bird-watching, photography,
and fishing
-
Commercial benefits, such as harvesting wild rice,
cranberries and fur trapping (muskrat)
-
Education: Outdoor laboratories for science,
and art classes
Where Can I Visit A Wetland in Minnesota?
- Wetlands
to Visit
: Table listing Minnesota State Parks, trails such
as boardwalks, and wetland type
What Native Plants Are In Wetlands?
Put on a pair of old sneakers or rubber
boots and wander around the edge of a wetland. See how many
native species you can identify, as well as the invasive
ones.
These three are from the
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
and include photos as well as descriptions.
-
Wetland Plants and Plant Communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin:
by Steve D. Eggers and Donald M. Reed, Second Edition.
Read online, or pick up a copy at the library. Or
purchase your own
($11 plus $2 - $3.50 for shipping). A classic (1997),
thorough text of typical plants in a MN or WI wetland. Excellent
photos and brief descriptions.
-
Aquatic and Wetland Vascular Plants of the Northern Great
Plains:
Gary Larson, 1993. Photos, if included, can
be too small to help identify. Includes a county-by-county map
of the Dakota's & western MN, indicating if the plant has been found
there.
-
Midwestern Wetland Flora: Field Office Guide to Plant
Species
: Intended to aid staff in identifying hydrophytes
(water-loving plants) when determining what's a wetland; not exhaustive
as it does not include true water-based plants or very common species
(like cattails). $52 for print version. Online version
includes large, clear photos & text. Identification key handy
as it has links directly to the pages of interest. Detail pages
include link to previous/next species or return to key, which the previous
guide does not have (gets pokey hopping back & forth to the index).
What Critters Are In Wetlands?
This is my winter project -- after a summer
of seeing birds in inner city marshes I never knew existed (like yellow headed
blackbirds) and learning how to distinguish a damselfly larvae from a dragonfly,
I don't want to lose that newfound knowledge. C--
I Live Near A Wetland -- What Should I Do
I Want to Clean Out Cattails And Build A Deck .... (Permits
for Altering Wetlands)
Wait! Before you change a wetland,
especially if it involves draining or filling a wetland, even if it's
your property, check with your county soil and water
conservation district (Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Scott, Carver) (look
in the government section of the phone book) You may need to fill
out a
Combined Project Application
to see if your project is permissible. Or if
you're in Minnesota, call the MN Board of Water & Soil Resources,
and as for their brochure Wetland Regulation in Minnesota
for details on the process and which government agencies
are involved.
I Live In The City -- How Could My Garden Affect A Wetland?
All that rainwater running down
the street and into a storm drain ultimately ends up in a wetland, river
or lake ... untreated. On its journey over our yards, sidewalks
and alleys water picks up three things: Food, Dirt and Toxins. This
is an example of non-point source pollution. Here's how
it affects wetlands:
-
Dirt: Or sediment or soil. Any land not covered
with vegetation can be eroded during a rainstorm, carrying dirty storm
water. This could be from a boulevard garden that's not completely
covered with plants or grasses firmly holding dirt in place. A
construction project, especially on a slope. A patch of ground
under a large tree where the grass never seems to grow. Take a good
look at your yard -- do you see any naked spots? See any sand or
dirt piling up in the street or your sidewalk? All that sediment can
wash into holding ponds, which must be cleaned out ($$$). In wetlands,
it hurts aquatic life by smothering eggs and bottom dwelling creatures;
the murky water also interferes with respiration and digestion of fish and
important aquatic bugs.
-
Food: Or nutrients. Everything from soup
to nuts -- fertilizers, plant debris, grass clippings, pet waste,
soil erosion, leaves, and septic systems. All of these provide phosphorous,
nitrogen and other nutrients which cause excessive weed growth and algae
blooms in wetlands and lakes. As these plants decay, they use the oxygen
in the water, reducing what was available to fish and other water creatures,
like tadpoles.
-
Toxins: Or poisons, such as pesticides, oil,
vehicle fluids, paint, solvents. Some of these simply wash off our
lawns and driveways in rains or in the spring melt, others are the result
of people pouring them down the storm drain because they don't know how
else to dispose of hazardous waste safely. Depending on the substance,
wetland plants and creatures may be terribly affected -- even road salts
can reduce the diversity of life in a wetland. Toxins also accumulate
in the food chain, as larger critters eat smaller ones that have been
contaminated Fish advisories are issued when fish are no longer safe
to eat.
All the gardening and lawn care advice boils
down to one basic thing: Clean Up After Your Lawn, Garden &
Pet. Take a good look at your trees, lawn and gardens and imagine
it in a rainstorm. Anything that's dirt, potential plant food,
or nasty either should be picked up or somehow prevented from running down
the storm drain:
- Audit Your Yard: Are there leaves in the street
in front of your house? How about dirt or sand? Grass clippings?
-
Sweep Up: Your street, sidewalk, and driveway
clear of leaves, grass clippings and fertilizer or herbicides
- Bug Your Lawn Service: to do the same -- there
should not be fertilizer pellets all over the
sidewalk or street after Big Green, Inc. treats your lawn -- if there
are, call them and insist they come back and clean up pronto.
- Pick up the Poop: Especially from the boulevard
strip and near the sidew
- Compost: Rake up grass clippings, leaves and
pick up dead plants from your gardens for your compost pile, or if you're
short on space for composting, find out from your trash hauler what to
do with organic trash
- Wash your car on your lawn or at a car wash to keep
the soap and waxes out of the water supply
-
Adopt a Storm Drain: Find the drain near your
house -- is it clogged with leaves, twigs and sand? Grab a small
shovel, some gloves and a trash bag. In fifteen minutes you can
tidy it up and help keep the wetlands near you healthier.
-
Don't pour it down the drain! If you're not sure
what to do with that old herbicide or oil, contact your trash hauler
-- most communities have facilities for handling toxic or messy wastes.
What goes down the drain may end up being in the next place down
the way's water supply! or your fish.
-
Keep It Under Cover: Check for garden or lawn spots
with uncovered dirt. Boulevard gardens are increasing in popularity,
but need to be careful not to wash away (see next section:
Boulevard Garden Pointers
).
-
Construction?:
Make sure your contractor puts temporary cover on your yard
if they dig it up & leave dirt exposed. A naked slope can
quickly erode in a good thunderstorm.
(Sources -- Non-point source pollution brochure from Dakota
County)
Links:
Boulevard Garden Pointers
If you live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro
area, I highly recommend the Sustainable Gardening Fact Sheet #6:
Planning & Planting a Blooming Boulevard from the Sustainable
Resources Center's Urban Lands Program (1916 Second Avenue South, Minneapolis,
MN 55403; (612) 873-3291; urlsrc@aol.com).
- Trees: Be careful not to damage the roots of
a boulevard tree, which can be quite shallow. Mulch or leave a
border of grass around the base of the tree, or plant perennials/groundcovers
in this area (measure the diameter (in inches) of the tree 4.5 feet up,
then multiply that by 1.5 feet to figure the distance). Use a hand
shovel to put in plants, rather than trying to rototill or double-dig
the area.
- Height Restrictions: Check with your community
for the restrictions (usually 3 feet or less); keep it shorter if you're
on a corner or if a plant will otherwise make driving/walking difficult
- BEFORE YOU DIG: Call your local utility service
(in Minnesota, call Gopher State One -- (651-454-0002) to mark where
electricity, water and gas lines are
- Don't create a raised bed, which will only run-off
in rains
- Plant Suggestions: I can vouch for almost all
of these, either because they're in one of my gardens or a neightbor's:
- Pussy toes (Antennaria neglecta or Antennaria
dioica ): Gray-green felty leaves with white or pink spring
flowers that do look like little cat's paws. I found mine at Landscape
Alternatives in Roseville (PHONE: ), which specializes in
native plants. Spreads politely and tolerates drought and some foot
traffic
- Tymus (Thymes): These are fun for a ground cover
-- smell great when you step on them
- Sedums: Short and tall varieties, tolerate heat and
drought. Squish when stepped on, so keep out of traffic zones
- Achilea millefolium (Yarrow): Can be mowed to 2 inches,
grows to 12 to 30 inches if you let it grow, variety of bloom colors
- Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan): Yellow flower w/dark
brown center, full sun to light shade, 1.5 to 3 feet tall. Leave
the flowers/seed heads on for winter interest and to feed the finches
- Gaillardia (Blanket Flower): Yellow with red flowers
or vice versus, dwarf to 30 inches tall, full sun. If you deadhead
them, blooms longer, but make sure there's not a bumble bee sleeping
under the seedhead before popping it off -- I couldn't figure out for
weeks why the blooms had spines underneath, until I looked and saw the
annoyed yellow&black fuzzy resident.
- Hemerocallis (Daylilly): 1 to 4 feet tall, many colors.
I have Stella D'Oro & a nameless larger yellow in my boulevard
- Native Grasses: How about Little Bluestem, which
has nice fall color? DON'T use Ribbon Grass, Pampas grass or Amur
Silver Grass which are invasive (stick to what's native in your area
& you'll probably have something that grows well)
- Read up on invasive species (see my
short primer
for starters) -- plant matter in a boulevard garden can easily wash down
into a wetland
What's a Rain Garden?
Think of a good summer downpour, where rainwater
rushes down sidewalks and streets. And woosh! into the drains
to the wetlands, rivers and lakes. A rain garden can capture
some of that water in a flower bed, filtering the water through the soil
as well as nourishing your plants. When entire neighborhoods include
rain gardens, such as in Maplewood, Minnesota, in place of traditional street
curbs and gutters, the amount of runoff into sensitive areas can be reduced.
The basic idea is creating a dip in your yard where run-off
from your roof (or in some cases the street) can pool, filled with plants
that like damper feet. Check out these sites for how-to's and inspiration.
The first includes extensive links which I won't duplicate here.
What's WHEP (Wetland Health Evaluation Project)?
The Wetland Health Evaluation Project
is a unique program in the Twin Cities which uses volunteer "citizen
biologists" to collect macroinvertebrate (critters) and vegetation (plants)
samples from selected wetlands to measure their health. The original
protocol was developed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency by Judy
Helgen and Mark Gernes, who are our enthusiastic and vastly knowledgable trainers/mentors.
- What is WHEP?
My interview with Daniel Huff, WHEP's Dakota County coordinator.
Dan provided background on WHEP's roots as well as
Last Updated 7/29/02. Gardening_and_Wetlands.html
was prepared in partial fulfillment of
Inver Hills Community College
Biology 1185, which I took for a whole 1 credit as personal
development summer '02.