Benefits of Continued Virginia Coastal Zone Wetland Buffer Preservation and Implementation

1
Benefits of Continued Virginia Coastal Zone
Wetland Buffer Preservation and Implementation
Bryan Johnson Wetland Soils 570
2
Virginias Coastal Zone

• Covers approx. one-quarter of the state
  (5,727,977 acres)
• Extends from the flat sandy soils of the Eastern
  Shore and southeastern Virginia, to the gently
  rolling forests and farmlands of the Peninsula,
  Middle Peninsula, and Northern Neck
• Includes the highly developed areas that extend
  from the metropolitan localities of Fairfax,
  Alexandria, and Arlington, south along the
  interstate 95 corridor which passes through the
  cities of Fredricksburg, Richmond, and Petersburg
• It also extends east and south along the
  Interstate 64 corridor to the port of Hampton
  Roads and ocean coast at Virginia Beach

VADEQ, 2001
3
Coastal Zone Population Increase

• Population in Virginias coastal localities
  increased by more than 500,000 people between
  1990 and 2000
• Additional people in the coastal zone has
  resulted in an increase in the conversion of
  forest and agricultural lands to developed lands
• Virginia ranks 11th in the nation for the rate of
  land conversion (approx. 68,700 acres per year
  changed from farming and forest to
  residential/commercial uses)
• Within Virginia, the coastal zone is the area
  undergoing the most rapid changes
• The National Resource Inventory estimated that
  developed lands in the Virginia Coastal zone grew
  by 54 percent between 1982 and 1997 (compared to
  a 43 statewide rate for the same interval)

VADEQ, 2001
4
Reasons For Growth

• Virginias Coastal Zone Provides an Excellent
  Habitat for Humanity
• Natural Assets Of Virginias Coastal Zone
  Include fertile land, moderate climate,
  productive estuaries and ocean, and it is located
  in the middle of one of the worlds greatest
  civilized seacoasts
• Mix of Resource Based Industries Forestry
  products, agriculture, mining and commercial
  fisheries
• Natural Resources/Recreational Activities
  Hunting, fishing, boating, and bird watching

5
Coastal Zone Land Usage

• Even with the relatively high rates of land
  conversion, more than half of the coastal zone
  land area remains forested
• Approximately one quarter of the land area is
  used for farming
• Of the remaining non-forested land, about 9
  percent of the area is developed and wetlands
  occupy over 10 of the remaining area

VADEQ, 2001
6
Coastal Zone Wetlands

• The coastal zone contains all 310,813 acres of
  Virginias tidal wetlands and 909,097 acres
  (approximately 80) of the states nontidal
  wetlands
• It has been estimated that over half of
  Virginias wetlands have been lost since colonial
  times - Most historic nontidal losses are
  attributed to agriculture while most historic
  tidal wetlands losses have been caused by
  commercial and residential development along the
  shore line. Currently, nontidal wetland impacts
  are generally a result of commercial and
  residential development while tidal wetland
  impacts are often associated with construction of
  shoreline erosion protection structures. As with
  tidal wetlands, small incremental impacts on
  subaqueous lands can cumulatively alter the
  aquatic environment. Immediate impacts, which
  may be long term result from large dredging and
  shoreline nourishment projects.
• Recent wetland management programs have
• slowed the rate of losses considerably, however,
  
• current growth and development trends
• continue to impact wetlands
• Between 1996 and 2000, approximately 145
• acres of tidal wetlands and 1138 acres of
• nontidal wetlands were impacted in the coastal
• zone

VADEQ, 2001
7
Why are our wetlands important?

• Hydrologic Value - Wetlands slow and retain
  surface water, providing water storage and
  shoreline stabilization
• Water Quality - Remove pollutants from surface
  runoff and small streams by retaining sediments
  and toxic pollutants attached to those sediments
  such as PCPs, phosphorus, heavy metals and
  pesticides. Wetland plants  also transform N and
  P into unavail. forms, reducing algal blooms and
  fish kills caused by these nutrients. 
• Habitat Values - Wetlands provide wildlife
  habitat for a wide range of terrestrial and
  semi-aquatic animals and numerous plant species. 
  The aquatic and terrestrial habitats within a
  wetland provides  a variety of food sources and
  cover for nest sites and subsequent young. 
• Direct Use Values - Because wetlands provide such
  a diversity of habitat for so many animals, they
  are of great use to humans through recreation,
  education and timber production.  In recreation
  and education, wetlands provide areas for both
  consumptive and non-consumptive use.  Consumptive
  use involves hunting and fishing, while
  non-consumptive uses include canoeing, bird
  watching, and studying animals and plants. 
  Wetlands also have economic value of producing
  sawtimber and pulpwood.  Many wetlands are
  dominated by trees and are actively managed for
  timber production

8
How can we protect our wetlands?

• Answer WETLAND BUFFERS
• All wetland types are important resources, which
  is why even marginal wetlands are important to
  preserve and protect with some type of Buffer
• What is a wetland buffer?
• Area of vegetation which usually begins from the
  boundary of wetland dependent vegetation and
  extends outward, ending at the interface with
  another land use
• Vary in size and nature depending upon the
  specific purpose for which it was created
• Transition zones between the terrestrial and
  aquatic ecosystem, linking land and water on a
  given site or property, and linking landscapes
  together in a watershed

9
Wetland Buffer Vegetation

• Wetland buffers containing diverse, multilayered,
  undisturbed vegetation result in maximum wetland
  quality and wildlife protection benefits
• Each vegetative type has its own beneficial
  character
• - Grass has a high stem density effective in
  filtering
• - Trees stabilize soil and dissipate rainfall
  energy
• - Shrubs are effective in filtering, stabilizing
  soil and dissipating rainfall energy

Example of a Wetland Buffer
Castelle et al., 1994
10
Hydrologic Importance of Wetland Buffers

• Provide an area for surface water and groundwater
  interaction
• -As water flows across a buffer, it infiltrates
  through the vegetation, reducing the volume of
  runoff reaching the wetland. Secondly, as excess
  water is stored in the wetland, water levels rise
  and expand over the buffer area, thus presenting
  more surface area and another opportunity for
  water to soak into the ground
• Reduce surface water runoff from surrounding land
  into the wetland
• Potential storage/treatment system prior to
  direct discharge into wetland for drainage
  systems that are storm-sewered, drain-tiled or
  channelized

11
Impact of Wetland Buffers on Water Quality

• Provide pretreatment of runoff to ensure that
  natural wetland functions are not overwhelmed
  thereby sustaining wetland cleansing capabilities
• Play a role in pre-treatment simply by their
  inherent nature as a place for water to filter,
  soak in, contact soil and be taken up by
  vegetation
• Effective at providing some degree of
  pre-treatment for several sources of pollution
  such as
• 1. Solids
• 2. Phosphorus
• 3. Nitrogen
• 4. Biological pollutants
• 5. Heavy Metals

12
Impact of Wetland Buffers on Solid Removal

• Wetland Buffer Vegetation reduces energy of flow,
  thus slowing water down, spreading flow out and
  allowing gravity to settle particles too heavy to
  move at a reduce energy level
• Figure 1 indicates that TSS (Total Suspended
  Solid) reduction of 70 and more can occur with
  certainty when buffer widths reach 50
• Figure 1 shows that the lower limit of 70
  occurs for every instance when 100 of buffer was
  in place
• The relationship of buffer width to water quality
  improvement is not linear, therefore, large
  increases in buffer size do not necessarily yield
  similar water quality benefits

Emmons, 2001
13
Impact of Wetland Buffers on Phosphorus Removal

• Particulate filtering of organic material (ex.,
  grass, leaves, woody debris) is the principal P
  reduction process in wetland buffers
• Over time, organic material breaks down, sorption
  bonds break and soluble phosphorus becomes
  mobile, at which point it can soak into the soil,
  be taken up by vegetation or flow away
• Figure 2 shows that a 50 buffer width marks the
  transition between relatively low Phosphorus
  removal and higher removals (gt65)
• Similar to TSS removal, relationship of buffer
  width to water quality improvement is not linear,
  therefore, large increases in buffer width may
  not yield similar water quality benefits

Emmons, 2001
14
Impact of Wetland Buffers on Nitrogen Removal

• Wetland buffers contribute substantially to the
  preservation of groundwater quality by removal of
  NO-3 through denitrification and plant uptake
• Figure 3 illustrates the removal of subsurface
  nitrate as a function of buffer width
• Nitrate removal in buffers occurs mostly in the
  sub-soil, where anaerobic bacteria transform, or
  denitrify, nitrate to nitrogen gas
• Surface nitrate removal (Figure 4) shows a
  similar pattern to all of the other contaminant
  removal versus buffer width relationships,
  however, overall removal seems to be less in the
  lower buffer width range
• Nitrate is a soluble transition produce best
  reduced under anaerobic conditions in the soil
• Surface reductions come mostly from infiltration,
  which becomes more of a factor for wider buffers

Emmons, 2001
15
Habitat Benefit Due to Wetland Buffers

• Benefits of wetland buffers for both aquatic and
  terrestrial wildlife include corridor
  extension/connection, breeding and nesting cover,
  food sources, roosting sites, predator
  protection, and shelter from cold and hot
  temperatures
• Water Cool Down Effect of Wetland Buffers -
  Buffer areas near standing water shade the water
  and keep temperatures down during the summer and,
  also help cool warm water runoff as it flows
  through wetland buffer vegetation. The cooling
  allows water to hold more oxygen at lower
  temperatures resulting in a viable aquatic
  environment.
• Wetland buffer areas lesson the importance of
  knowing the exact wetland boundary, therefore,
  allowing for some transition to occur, however,
  this does not minimize the importance of
  establishing a
• line for purposes of defining buffer width

16
Quality of Life Benefits Due to Wetlands Buffers

• Wetland Buffers not only protect our wetlands,
  but they act as extensions and add to all of the
  quality of life benefits associated with wetlands
• Aesthetic and Open space values of Wetlands are
  Immeasurable
• Recreation Benefits
• Provide walking/running/hiking trails
• Site Seeing/Photographing
• Hunting/Fishing
• Education Benefits
• Study how nature works
• Identify plant/animal species
• Learn about water resources

17
Suggested Wetland Buffer Zone Minimum Width
Recommendations
Function Special Features Recommended Minimum Width (ft)
Sediment Reduction Steep slopes (5 15) and/or sensitive wetland 100
Sediment Reduction Shallow slopes (lt5 ) or low quality wetland 50
Sediment Reduction Slopes over 15 Consider buffer width additions w/ each 1 increase in slope
Phosphorus reduction Steep slope 100
Phosphorus reduction Shallow slope 50
Nitrate Reduction Focus on shallow groundwater flow 100
Biological contaminant and pesticide reduction 50
Wildlife habitat and corridor protection Unthreatened species 100
Wildlife habitat and corridor protection Rare, threatened or endangered species 200-300
Wildlife habitat and corridor protection Maintenance of species diversity 50 in rural area 100 in urban area
Minimize the negative impact of human pressures 50
Flood Control Variable, depending upon elevation of flood waters and potential damages
Emmons, 2001and Castelle et al., 1994
18
Current Virginia Laws Regulations Relevant to
Protecting Our Wetlands

• Wetlands have been protected in Virginia since
  the passage of the Wetlands Act in 1972. Since
  then a variety of legislation has emerged to
  prevent the destruction of these important
  habitats such as the following
• Wetlands Act, Title 28.2 Chapter 13
• The Tidal wetlands Act is Virginia legislation
  aimed at protecting vegetated and nonvegetated
  tidal wetlands in Virginia. The goal of this law
  is to, preserve and prevent the despoliation and
  destruction of wetlands while accommodating
  necessary economic development in a manner
  consistent with wetlands preservation (VA Code
  28.2-1302). The Wetlands Act vests wetland
  regulatory authority in the hands of the local
  government.
• This act created a Wetlands Zoning Ordinance that
  any county, city, or town in Virginia may adopt
  to regulate the use/development of local
  wetlands. Adoption requires localities to create
  a wetlands board consisting of five or seven
  residents of the jurisdiction. Local board
  jurisdiction extends from mean low water to mean
  high water where no emergent vegetation exists,
  and to 1.5 times the mean tide range where marsh
  is present.
• The Virginia Marine Resources Commission is
  required by the Wetlands Act to, Promulgate and
  periodically update guidelines which
  scientifically evaluate vegetated and non
  vegetated wetlands by type and describe the
  consequences of use of these wetlands types
  (Section 28.2-1301). To accomplish this task,
  the Virginia Institute of Marine Science is
  charged with advising and assisting the
  Commission.
• VMRC has jurisdiction over the permitting of
  projects within state-owned subaqueous lands.
  They also review proposed projects impacting
  wetlands, sand dunes and beaches in localities
  that have note adopted the Wetland Zoning
  Ordinance

Trono, 2003
19
Virginia Wetland Protection Laws Regulations
(continued)

• Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, Title 10.1
  Chapter 21
• The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act passed in
  1988 with its purpose being to improve the water
  quality of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries
  through measures to reduce adverse impacts of
  land use and development
• Local governments, under the Bay Act, are
  required to designate Chesapeake Bay Preservation
  Areas (CBPAs), and incorporate protection of
  water quality into their comprehensive plans and
  ordinances. Many localities have adopted a model
  ordinance created by the Chesapeake Bay Local
  Assistance Department
• The bay Act and regulations require a 100 feet
  wide vegetate buffer adjacent to and landward of
  all tidal shores, tidal wetlands, non-tidal
  wetlands connected by surface flow and contiguous
  to tidal wetlands or along water bodies with
  perennial flow. The Bay Act also stipulates that
  all land disturbances over 2,500 square feet that
  occur in CBPAs are required to comply with all
  local erosion and sediment control regulations
• VMRC has jurisdiction over the permitting of
  projects within state-owned subaqueous lands.
  They also review proposed projects impacting
  wetlands, sand dunes and beaches in localities
  that have note adopted the Wetland Zoning
  Ordinance
• Erosion Sediment Control Law, Title 10.1
  Chapter 5 Article 4
• The ESC Programs purpose is to control soil
  erosion, sedimentation, and nonagricultural
  runoff from regulated land-disturbing
  activities to prevent degradation of property
  and natural resources. DCR, the leading state
  agency for developing and implementing statewide
  nonpoint source pollution control programs and
  services, administers erosion and sediment
  control laws. Localities require a separate E
  S permit. Originally E S law reviewed projects
  over 10,000 square feet. With passage of the
  Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, this threshold
  was amended to include projects that disturb 2500
  square feet or more land in Chesapeake Bay
  Preservation Areas (CBPAs)

Trono, 2003
20
Virginia Wetland Protection Laws Regulations
(continued)

• Non-tidal Wetlands Program-DEQ Virginia Water
  Protection Program
• The Virginia Water Protection Program at DEQ is
  responsible for the administration of the Section
  401 water quality programs delegated to the
  Commonwealth under the Clean water Act. The
  program also regulates impacts to state waters
  including wetlands as required under the State
  Water Control Law. The goal of VWPP is to
  ensure, no net loss of wetland acreage and
  function, protect beneficial uses of state
  waters, prevent degradation of valuable water
  resources, and to work toward the restoration of
  waters whose quality has been degraded (VWPP
  Guidelines, 2003).
• United States Army Corps of Engineers
• Based on Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act
  of 1899 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act,
  the Corps is responsible for administering a
  permit program for construction, dredging and
  filling activities in tidal and nontidal
  wetlands. The corps wetland definition is based
  solely on soil type, hydrology, and present
  vegetation. This differs form the commonwealth
  of Virginia definition which is based on
  vegetation, elevation, and connectivity.

Trono, 2003
21
Facts of Wetland Buffer Management

• Protection of Wetlands by Buffers is an important
  part of all comprehensive surface water
  management plans
• Buffers surrounding all wetlands are necessary
  not only for the protection of wetlands and the
  benefits they provide, but also for the
  functions/values that buffers serve as vegetative
  areas such as
• Water Quality Protection erosion/sediment
  control,
• nutrient, biological, and toxin removal
• Hydrologic Event Modification/Groundwater
• Interaction
• 3. Aquatic/wildlife habitat protection
• 4. Aesthetics/open space - Minimization
  of
• Human Impact
• 5. Recreation/Environmental Education
• Buffers, used as non-structural BMPs, can
  possibly negate the need for more expensive
  structural approaches
• Enhancement of wetland buffers to assure their
  continued existence and functionality is
  warranted as part of good overall watershed
  management that supports low impact development
  and promotion of infiltration techniques.
• Maintenance of buffer areas is essential to
  proper long-term operation with emphasis placed
  towards keeping runoff over the buffer in sheet
  flow, removing accumulations of pollutants,
  keeping vegetation healthy and keeping soils
  pervious.

22
Looking to the Future

• Virginia is committed to preserving and
  protecting wetlands
• State parks, natural area preserves, wildlife
  management
• areas and unclaimed tidal lands currently offer
  protection
• to over 36,000 acres of wetlands through
  conservation
• programs that permanently restrict development
  by way
• of perpetual easements or fee ownership, held by
  federal,
• state or local government or non-profit
  organizations
• Buffers along streams, rivers, and wetlands of
  the Commonwealth provide water quality and
  habitat benefits for both aquatic and terrestrial
  biota.
• Because of the importance of buffers, Virginia
  has placed upwards of 72 linear miles of buffers
  along our waters as part of a government enforced
  restoration project and hopes to restore 610
  miles by 2010

VADEQ, 2001
23
Looking to the Future

• The Virginia Coastal Zone is under stress
  primarily because it is an excellent habitat for
  humanity, as it offers a wide diversity of
  opportunities to pursue business and recreation.
• The attractiveness of the region has brought with
  it the challenges of supporting an ever expanding
  human population.
• Expanding and shifting human uses of the system
  have made it very difficult to sustain healthy
  fisheries, high water quality, and balanced land
  uses.
• Today, Virginia is confronted with problems of
  accommodating expanding development, while
  preserving forests, farms, open spaces and
  wetlands.
• The search for optimal wetland protection will be
  never-ending in the face of growing populations,
  evolving technologies, and changing climate
• The future of wetland protection in Virginia is
  bright, as the number of interested and informed
  policy-makers, managers, non-governmental
  interests, and private citizens continues to grow

24
Looking to the Future

• In determining wetland protection needs of the
  future, we will face a difficult and likely never
  ending challenge due to population growth,
  improvements in technology, and climate change.
  The following concerns must be addressed as we
  strive to protect our wetlands
• Improve and expand existing regulatory and
  non-regulatory county, state, and federal wetland
  protection programs
• Collaborate and learn from other jurisdictions
  outside the coastal zone
• Increase the involvement/education of local
  stakeholders
• Continually educate all citizens on the value of
  wetlands
• Improve the Implementation of wetland protection
  program regulations set by county, state, and
  local governments
• Maintain focus on maintaining and improving our
  environment

25
References

Burt, T. P., L. S. Matchett, K. W. T. Goulding,
C. P. Webster, and N. E. Haycock, 1999.
Denitrification in riparian buffer zones the
role of flood plain hydrology. Hydrological
Processes 131451-1463.   Castelle, A. Y. and A.
W. Johnson, 2000. Riparian Vegetation
Effectiveness. National Council for Air and
Steam Improvement (NCASI), Triangle Park, N. C.,
Technical Bulletin No. 799, 26 p., February
2000.   Castelle, A. J., A. W. Johnson, and C.
Conolly, 1994. Wetland and Stream Buffer Size
Requirements A Review. Journal of
Environmental Quality, 23878-882.   Emmons,
William, 2001. Benefits of Wetland Buffers A
Study of Function, Values, and Size. Technical
Bulletin 5504. December 2000.   Trono, Krista
L, 2003. An Analysis of the Current Shoreline
Management Framework in Virginia Focus on the
Need for Improved Agency Coordination. Virginia
DEQ Report funded by the Virginia Coastal
Resources Management Program.   Virginia
Department of Environmental Quality, 2001.
State of Virginias Coast. VIMS report funded by
a grant from the Virginia Coastal Resources
Management Program.