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EDITOR'S NOTE

EDITOR'S CHOICE

• Facing the floods of an altered climate
• Ramsar International Wetlands Awards Seek Nominations
• EPA/Corps Draft Guidance to Identify Waters Protected by Clean Water Act
• CWA Guidance: A Balance to Restoring Clean Water Act Protections
• National Wetlands Inventory Draft Strategic Plan for External Review
• New Online Wetlands Mapping Training

NATIONAL NEWS

• Oil Policy Bills Introduced
• The Compleat Wetlander: Make a Difference Commenting on the Draft CWA Guidance
• Conservation program, farm subsidies targeted in federal budget
• EPA water pollution guidelines run afoul of state authority

STATE NEWS

• NJ: Army Corps backs DEP in denial of bypass permit
• WI: Ripples from the Dunes column: Wetlands provide many benefits
• ME: Lawmakers work together to craft good changes to vernal pool law
• PA: EPA hopes to bring light to plight of wetlands
• MN: Family donates large tract of prairie, wetland to MSU
• LA: How the Floods May Restore Louisiana's Wetlands
• FL: Once a major issue in Florida, climate change concerns few
• MO: After the flood in Missouri: farmland or wetlands?
• LA: Pre-spill, Coastal Threats Cannot be Ignored
• NC: Stream restoration is challenging but can succeed
• ME: Dredging of the Kennebec in high season?

RESOURCES AND PUBLICATIONS

• Remote Sensing of Wetlands
• Remote Sensing Techniques for Studying Coastal Ecosystems
• Assessing the Natural and Beneficial Functions of Floodplains
• Tracking Oil Slicks and Predicting their Trajectories Using Remote Sensors and Models
• National Strategic Narrative: Sustainability, Climate Change
• 2011 State of the Birds Report
• Top 10 US Endangered Rivers Report
• The Role of Remote Sensing in Predicting and Determining Coastal Storm Impacts

WETLAND SCIENCE

• Flooding threat along Mississippi River is a test of man vs. nature
• Monitoring Mississippi Delta flood from space
• Architects design two-day event to explore issue of sea level rise
• NASA Captures Mississippi Flooding
• Researchers Try to Help Prevent Climate Change Conflict
• Study Finds Sea-Level Rise Likely on West Coast
• Settlers Likely Responsible for Wetlands’ Growth

POTPOURRI

• Analysis of the Gulf Oil Spill 1 Year Later. Not Good!

MEETINGS AND TRAINING

• Upper Delaware River Monitoring Workshops
• Michigan Wetlands Association Announces 2011 State Wetland Conference
• Strategic Conservation Using a Green Infrastructure Approach

Editor's Note

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Over the course of America’s Wetlands Month, the little wood frogs in the vernal pool down in my woods have been just as busy as the wetlanders working in the field. Listening to the peepers at night inspired me to write a poem about a wayward wood frog named Wren, who leaves the vernal pool a little late and heads in the wrong direction—not toward the uplands as all her fellow frogs have ventured, but in search of the wetlands she loves. For the Strange Wetlands post and link to my poem, “Once upon a Vernal Pool,” click here.

There have been a number of terrible natural disasters this spring, including devastating tornadoes and floods. In response to the recent flooding events along the Mississippi River, ASWM has created a new webpage with news coverage at http://aswm.org/watersheds/mississippi-river-flood. Also, ASWM recently posted a new draft publication, Assessing the Natural and Beneficial Functions of Floodplains by Jon Kusler, Esq. Ph.D. Comments are welcome and due by July 1, 2011. For the Compleat Wetlander blog post by Jeanne Christie, “Use the Natural Floodplain as Nature Intended,” click here. ASWM will continue to post news coverage of the Mississippi River flood and its impact on wetlands and communities over the coming months in between issues of WBN. It is our hope that this will help inform the ongoing dialogue on floods and floodplains and identify how to prevent future disasters from having such widespread effects. For additional reading on floodplains and natural hazards, click here.

Keep safe and be well.

Leah Stetson
Editor, Wetland Breaking News

EDITOR'S CHOICE

Facing the floods of an altered climate

By Vinod Thomas - The Philly Inquirer - May 17, 2011
The dangerous surge of the Mississippi River is yet another reminder that the global incidence of floods is on the rise. What's more, the growing frequency and ferocity of such events suggest an ominous link with human-driven global warming. In the absence of timely action, uncommonly extreme weather will likely put all progress at risk. Flooding and windstorms in particular are linked with climate change, and the number of disastrous floods and storms reported globally has tripled over the past three decades. For full story, click here.

Ramsar International Wetlands Awards Seek Nominations

Ramsar Calls for Nominations for 2012 Ramsar Awards
The Ramsar Awards 2012 will be given in each of three categories: “Management”, “Wetland Science”, and “Education”. If you know a person, an organization or an initiative that meets the criteria, do not hesitate to send nomination(s). The three winners of the fifth edition of the Ramsar Awards for wetland conservation will be invited to receive their prize at the opening of the 11th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties, which will take place in Bucharest, Romania, in June 2012. The Ramsar Awards were established in 1996 in order to recognize and honour the contributions of individuals, organizations and governments around the world towards promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands. For more information regarding the Criteria and Procedures for the Award, nomination forms, as well as on previous editions of the Awards please consult the Ramsar web site: www.ramsar.org/Ramsar-Award/. Complete nominations must reach the Ramsar Secretariat by 31 May 2011 at the latest.

EPA/Corps Draft Guidance to Identify Waters Protected by Clean Water Act

Environmental Protection Agency - April 27, 2011
U.S. EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have developed draft guidance for determining whether a waterway, water body, or wetland is protected by the Clean Water Act. This guidance would replace previous guidance to reaffirm protection for critical waters. It also will provide clearer, more predictable guidelines for determining which water bodies are protected by the Clean Water Act. The Agencies' Joint draft guidance will be open for 60 days of public comment to allow all stakeholders to provide input and feedback before it is finalized. For a link to the Proposed Guidance, go to: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/wetlands/upload/wous_guidance_4-2011.pdf For additional background information, visit either the EPA website here or the Corps’ website here. (Similar information is posted on both agencies’ websites.)

The draft guidance will reaffirm protections for small streams that feed into larger streams, rivers, bays and coastal waters. It will also reaffirm protection for wetlands that filter pollution and help protect communities from flooding. Discharging pollution into protected waters (e.g., dumping sewage, contaminants, or industrial pollution) or filling protected waters and wetlands (e.g., building a housing development or a parking lot) require permits. This guidance will keep safe the streams and wetlands that affect the quality of the water used for drinking, swimming, fishing, farming, manufacturing, tourism and other activities essential to the American economy and quality of life. It also will provide regulatory clarity, predictability, consistency and transparency. For more information, click here. For the Federal Registry notice, click here. To read more about traditional navigable waters, click here. For a related story, click here. For a related New York Times article, click here. For more information about this draft guidance, visit ASWM’s Clean Water Act webpage, http://www.aswm.org/wetlands-law/cwa

CWA Guidance: A Balance to Restoring Clean Water Act Protections

By Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (in collaboration with Ducks Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation, Izaak Walton League, Trout Unlimited) - April 28, 2011
On April 27, the administration took a positive and balanced step to begin restoring long-standing Clean Water Act protections for U.S. streams, wetlands, and other waters. For the full document, click here.

National Wetlands Inventory Draft Strategic Plan for External Review

The Fish and Wildlife Service has developed a draft five-year strategic plan (Plan) for its National Wetlands Inventory program, entitled: National Wetlands Inventory Draft Strategic Plan, Conserving America’s Wetlands for Future Generations: A Strategic Response to Climate Change 2011 to 2015. During its development, the Service held discussions with many partners and stakeholders. For more than 30 years, the Service’s National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) has been providing wetlands information for the Nation. Wetlands, vital to all citizens, are experiencing losses and degradation and are vulnerable to changes in climate. While addressing these threats, NWI considered program mandates; the needs of partners, cooperators, and data users; and its opportunities and challenges. For the next five years, the primary focus of NWI will be to provide data stewardship and conduct status and trends analysis while emphasizing coordination with governmental and non-governmental cooperators to increase modernized data. A separate action plan outlines activities, performance measures, responsibilities, and timelines. To view draft in PDF, click here. Comments on the Plan are welcome by June 21, 2011; send to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

New Online Wetlands Mapping Training

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – May 2011
The Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) is pleased to announce the availability of initial modules of an online Wetland Mapping Training course. NWI is providing the training to encourage and enable mapping partnerships with other organizations in order to increase the amount of current, modernized wetlands geospatial data available to all users. The training is geared towards image interpreters already skilled in GIS, who may need special training for mapping wetlands, to learn how to interpret and classify wetlands, apply the new standards and requirements, or learn tips and tricks (coming soon) to make the mapping more efficient. The training is designed to implement the new Wetlands Mapping Standard and ensure the quality of the data – and training is an effective way to make sure the data are collected accurately from the beginning. Currently only three modules are available, two technical modules are coming soon, and three additional modules on related topics are planned. NWI will continue to provide in-person training to partnering organizations as needed, as well as data verification tools, guidance, and quality control of the data before it becomes part of the NWI layer of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure. You can review or take the training, click here. The training is evolving as we receive feedback. If you want to be part of the process, send comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . This training was developed in cooperation with the Association of State Wetland Managers, supported by EPA and the FGDC.

National News

Oil Policy Bills Introduced

Legislative Watch (NRDC) – May 25, 2011
The House passed three bills, introduced by Natural Resources Committee chair Hastings (R-WA), that would expand offshore oil drilling while weakening federal oversight. On 5/5 the House passed H.R. 1230 by a vote of 266-149, with 33 Democrats supporting the proposal and two Republicans opposing it. The bill would require leases for drilling to be offered in areas off the coast of Virginia and in the western Gulf of Mexico that were withdrawn in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The bill would also extinguish legal challenges to the environmental impact statements prepared for drilling in the western Gulf, even though those documents were prepared before the Gulf disaster. On 5/11 the House passed H.R. 1229 by a vote of 263-163, with 28 Democrats voting for the bill and no Republicans opposing it. H.R. 1229 would set a 30-day deadline for the review of drilling permit applications. Finally, on 5/12 the House passed H.R. 1231 by a vote of 243-179, with 21 Democrats voting for passage and nine Republicans opposing it. The most far-reaching of the three measures, H.R. 1231 would mandate oil and gas leasing along the coast from Maine to North Carolina, off of southern California and in the Arctic. For NRDC’s online newsletter, go to: http://www.nrdc.org/newsletter/

The Compleat Wetlander: Make a Difference Commenting on the Draft CWA Guidance

By Jeanne Christie – The Compleat Wetlander (blog) – May 11, 2011
A public comment period is an opportunity for people to weigh in and provide ideas about what is right or wrong about a proposal—whether it is a project, a rule or guidance. At the end of April, the Obama Administration issued “Draft Guidance on Waters Protected by the Clean Water Act.” http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/wetlands/upload/wous_guidance_4-2011.pdf. The public has until July 1, 2011 to review the guidance and make recommendations. Public comment periods are taken seriously by the government. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fully expect 100,000 on the draft Clean Water Act guidance. They are required to review and weigh these comments and make appropriate changes to the guidance. They are also required to explain why they adopted some changes and declined to incorporate others. For full blog post, click here.

Conservation program, farm subsidies targeted in federal budget

By Kimberly Kindy - Washington Post - May 1, 2011
Over the past five years, Nebraska farmer Kevin Raun has submitted numerous conservation plans to the USDA for funds to convert his family cattle and corn farm into an eco-friendly place. Raun said the work seemed to finally pay off when the Agriculture Department pre-approved him for a Conservation Stewardship Program contract this year, but that was before conservation programs took unprecedented hits last month during the final days of the 2011 budget debates. For full story, click here.

EPA water pollution guidelines run afoul of state authority

All Headline News – May 2, 2011
Until now, states had broader discretion to determine when polluters of tributaries would be prosecuted or fined. The Obama administration is poised for more disputes with states over Clean Water Act standards after an announcement of new guidelines this week, according to lawmakers. Critics of President Obama say the guidelines are another example of expanding federal authority under his administration. The guidelines seek to prevent industrial waste from being dumped into wetlands and streams that provide drinking water for much of the nation. More of the authority to enforce the pollution standards would be given to the Environmental Protection Agency. For full article, click here.

State News

NJ: Army Corps backs DEP in denial of bypass permit

By Sam Slaughter – Suburban News – May 25, 2011
Opponents of the long proposed Main Street Bypass are celebrating what they consider to be another death knell for the project. Recently, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers joined the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in denying the borough’s permit application. The borough sought to discharge fill into four acres of regulated waters and wetlands in order to construct the four-mile road, which would run parallel to Main Street, near the Raritan River. When the borough was denied by the DEP last year, it turned to the Army Corps, which on April 25 began a 30-day public comment period. The Army Corps received over 800 letters of protest against the project. The entire 30-day comment period was not needed, however, because the Army Corps moved to deny the permit on the grounds that the state department originally denied the application. For full story, click here.

WI: Ripples from the Dunes column: Wetlands provide many benefits

By Jim Knickelbine – HTR News – May 25, 2011
Wetlands are amazing ecosystems that were once widely regarded as a waste of land. That notion is not one held by biologists, who increasingly understand wetlands as productive habitats rich in wildlife and which provide valuable services such as flood control and cleansing of runoff from surrounding land. They also serve as nurseries for amphibians, fish, birds and many other animals we value, so their worth is significant not only biologically but economically as well. [...]The marsh at Woodland Dunes lies along the lower West Twin River, whose level is controlled by Lake Michigan. Over the years the water level changes dramatically as the lake rises and falls. For full OpEd, click here.

ME: Lawmakers work together to craft good changes to vernal pool law

By George Smith (Editorial) – Morning Sentinel – May 25, 2011
If they could, frogs and salamanders would be applauding the leadership of Sen. Tom Saviello and the bipartisan work of his legislative committee. The Republican senator who represents portions of Kennebec and Franklin counties led the Environment and Natural Resources Committee to a remarkable finish on a host of contentious issues including vernal pools, better known as home to the frogs and salamanders of Maine. Vernal pools are small forested wetlands whose depressions fill with water from spring snowmelt and rain and dry partly or completely by late summer. With a rich food base and no fish, these pools provide critical habitat for more than 500 species, mostly amphibians and aquatic invertebrates. For full editorial, click here. For related article from earlier this month, click here.

PA: EPA hopes to bring light to plight of wetlands

The Mercury – May 24, 2011
They filter our water, protect our land from raging seas and reduce the damage from storm water runoff, as well as house a wide variety of wildlife, but are often overlooked until it is almost too late to save them. Attention is being brought to America's wetlands by the Environmental Protection Agency, which has designated May as American Wetlands Month. The EPA is encouraging all residents of the United States to explore and learn about the value of their local wetlands, as well as take action to protect them, such as promoting buffers around wetlands and planting vegetation in their yards and limiting the use of fertilizers and peticides, which can damage wetlands. For full article, click here.

MN: Family donates large tract of prairie, wetland to MSU

By Tanner Kent – Mankato Free Press – May 24, 2011
Minnesota State University’s newest classroom and research facility is blanketed in hip-high grass and overcome by all manner of native flora and fauna. The 58-acre tract of prairie and wetland is also the first land donation in the university’s history and believed to be the first such donation in the history of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. The gift was announced Tuesday during a news conference on the edge of the property, a largely undeveloped area northeast of the intersection of Highway 14 and Third Avenue. The donation was made by Lime Valley Development Company and the family of Darlene and William Radichel. For full story, click here.

LA: How the Floods May Restore Louisiana's Wetlands

By Steven Gray - Time - May 21, 2011
The talk of New Orleans has centered on whether the most severe Mississippi River flood in more than a quarter-century will cause catastrophic damage to a city still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. And for good reason: the flood has carved a destructive path from from Cairo, Illinois, to Vicksburg, Mississippi, and prompted Louisiana's Republican governor, Bobby Jindal, to ask the federal government for emergency assistance. But there just might be a silver lining: the flood could actually help Louisiana's fragile wetlands. For full story, click here.

FL: Once a major issue in Florida, climate change concerns few

By Craig Pittman - St. Petersburg Times - May 16, 2011
Four hundred scientists gathered in Copenhagen this month to talk about the warming temperatures in the arctic. Their conclusion: The arctic's glaciers are melting faster than anyone expected due to man-made climate change. As a result, the world's sea level will rise faster than previously projected, rising at least 2 feet 11 inches and perhaps as high as 5 feet 3 inches by 2100, they said. In low-lying Florida, where 95 percent of the population lives within 35 miles of its 1,200 miles of coastline, a swelling of the tides could cause serious problems. So what is Florida's Department of Environmental Protection doing about dealing with climate change? "DEP is not pursuing any programs or projects regarding climate change," an agency spokeswoman said in an e-mail to the St. Petersburg Times last week. For full story, click here.

MO: After the flood in Missouri: farmland or wetlands?

By Greg Henderson - Drovers Cattle Network - May 13, 2011
The mighty Mississippi River is raging this spring, destroying a wide path down our nation’s Heartland. Homes have been lost, families uprooted and businesses destroyed. Farmers have lost their crops, and many have also lost their homes and equipment. The flood is called the worst on record, eclipsing even the famous 1993 flood. In the span of 18 years, it seems, the region has witnessed two 500-year floods. The damage will last long after the water recedes, and residents will critique the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as the federal government’s response to the disaster. A main point of debate after the flood will focus on the levees built to contain the great river. One levee, the Birds Point Levee in Mississippi County, MO, was intentionally destroyed by the Corps of Engineers in order to relieve flooding in Cairo, Ill. For full story, click here.

LA: Pre-spill, Coastal Threats Cannot be Ignored

By Susan Buchanan - Huffington Post blog - May 2, 2011
Before the BP spill, a number of Louisiana towns were underwater, local marshes were ailing and non-native plants and animals dominated habitats. But with the recent spotlight on oil, dispersants and seafood safety, memories are blurred about decades-old factors that imperil the coast. Dr. Virginia Burkett, senior science advisor for Climate and Land Use Change at the U.S. Geological Survey, said the spill contributed to Louisiana's wetlands loss, which was already well underway because of multiple stressors. And, she said, a year after BP's rig explosion, cumulative effects of climate change and the spill are still poorly understood. Climate change itself, however, has been well studied. For full blog post, click here.

NC: Stream restoration is challenging but can succeed

By Curtis J. Richardson - News Observer (Editorial) - April 30, 2011
The recent "Washed away" series on stream and wetland restoration focused on what you saw as faulty water projects and wasted funds. With more than 30 years of research experience on wetland and stream ecosystem restoration in North Carolina and having worked on several of the projects mentioned in the articles, I felt that a few things should be clarified. You left the impression that restoration efforts had mostly failed and that the methodologies behind these efforts never change. Actually, the opposite is true, as wetland restoration has had a nearly 50-year history of successfully re-establishing ecological functions on the landscape. For full editorial, go to: http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/04/30/1164105/stream-restoration-is-challenging.html#storylink=misearch For the “Washed Away” series of articles, go to: http://www.newsobserver.com/tags/?tag=+Washed+Away The first of the series (April 2011) is here.

ME: Dredging of the Kennebec in high season?

By Gina Hamilton - The New Maine Times - April 27, 2011
The Kennebec is a tidal river, and because of that, marine sediments as well as freshwater sediments often mix at the mouth of the river, creating sandy shoals from the mouth of the river all the way up to Doubling Point, near Bath. [...] The Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) has requested a permit to do summertime dredging of the lower Kennebec, during the most productive time in the lower river’s year: tourist high season, and (barring any red tide) the height of clamming season. It is also a productive time for lobstering, a major occupation for those who make their living along the river and in the estuary. [...] Clean Water Act and Maine law... for full story, click here.

Resources and Publications

Remote Sensing of Wetlands

By Vic Klemas – Journal of Coastal Research – May 2011
Case Studies Comparing Practical Techniques (sea level rise). For full article, click here.

Remote Sensing Techniques for Studying Coastal Ecosystems

By Vic Klemas – Journal of Coastal Research – May 2011
Wetland mapping. For full article, click here.

Assessing the Natural and Beneficial Functions of Floodplains

By Jon Kusler, Esq., Ph.D. – Association of State Wetland Managers – May 2011
This draft report Assessing the Natural and Beneficial Functions of Floodplains: Issues and Approaches; Future Directions has been prepared to help federal, state, and local floodplain management staff, water planners, wetland managers and others assess, protect and restore floodplain “natural and beneficial” functions. It has been prepared, more specifically, to:
(1) Identify and explore user needs for assessment of the natural and beneficial functions.
(2) Describe selected wetland and floodplain methods and techniques which have been developed to assess such functions and values. (3) Describe some "lessons learned" with regard to the application of these techniques. (4) Suggest productive directions for improved future, cooperative federal, state, and local assessment efforts. To read full report in PDF, click here. Comments due by July 1, 2011.

Tracking Oil Slicks and Predicting their Trajectories Using Remote Sensors and Models

By Vic Klemas – Journal of Coastal Research – September 2010
Case Studies of the Sea Princess and Deepwater Horizon Oil Spills. For full article, click here.

National Strategic Narrative: Sustainability, Climate Change

By Mr. Y (Dept. of Defense, Published by Wilson Center) – May 2011
United States needs a national strategic narrative. We have a national security strategy, which sets forth four core national interests, and outlines, a number of dimensions, of an overarching strategy to advance those interests in the 21st century world. But that is a document written by specialists for specialists. This report has a number of sections that address strategic planning for sustainability, climate change, strategic ecology (interdependence on ecological systems) and combats skeptics of climate change. For the PDF of this report, click here.

2011 State of the Birds Report

By Bob Berwyn - Summit County Voice - May 4, 2011
Biodiversity: One in Four U.S. Birds Imperiled. A quarter of all bird species living in the United State are imperiled or in decline, according to the 2011 State of the Birds report from the U.S. Department of Interior. This year’s report focuses on public lands, pointing that, of the more than 1,000 bird species living in the country, 251 are federally listed as threatened, endangered or as species of conservation concern. “The State of the Birds report is a measurable indicator of how well we are fulfilling our shared role as stewards of our nation’s public lands and waters,” Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a release. For full news story, click here. For the 2011 State of the Birds Report, click here.

Top 10 US Endangered Rivers Report

WaterLink – May 24, 2011
Mining, gas drilling, untreated wastewater, roads, bridges and overuse are some of the primary threats to the health of rivers in the United States, according to an annual report from American Rivers (an environmental advocacy group). The report, America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2011, identifies ten rivers that face an immediate risk. For full article, click here. To learn more about the Top 10 List and American Rivers’ work, click here.

The Role of Remote Sensing in Predicting and Determining Coastal Storm Impacts

By Vic Klemas – Journal of Coastal Research – 2009
Storm-induced flooding, sea level rise, coastal storm impacts. For full article, click here.

Wetland Science

Flooding threat along Mississippi River is a test of man vs. nature

By Joel Achenbach - Washington Post - May 21, 2011
The snakes are out. And the bears. The gators. The jumbo rodents known as nutria. The feral hogs. They seek higher ground as the floodwaters advance, and that can mean the top of a levee or in someone’s back yard. Herds of deer have clumped on tiny islands in an ancient swamp that is becoming a lake. The humans are scrambling, too. They’ve filled a million sandbags. The flood fighters deploy barriers known as tiger dams, HESCO baskets, aqua tubes and sheet pile. The hospitals have stockpiled antivenin in anticipation of a surge in snakebites. Officials the other day shot a 10-foot gator on a levee near New Orleans. Engineers on Saturday were tracking roughly 250 seepage points along the levees that line the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers. The levees sit on fine sand that lets the river water escape like a convict tunneling out of prison. The water can pop up a mile away. For full story, click here.

Monitoring Mississippi Delta flood from space

University of Pennsylvannia - May 20, 2011
Federico Falcini, a reseacher in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science, is studying how the plume of water and sediment from the Mississippi River mixes with Gulf waters, using satellite data. River water is typically cooler than Gulf water so sea surface temperature can be used to track spreading and mixing. Images of ocean color may be used to monitor the distribution of sediment, and sea surface elevation maps can detect "piles" of Mississippi River water that build up along its mouth during floods. "The long-term goal of our research is to understand how the plume of water and sediment from the river constructs coastal wetlands, which are threatened by erosion and sea level rise," Falcini said. "Unfortunately, however, the Delta has suffered from the Gulf oil spill and now this flood during our study, so we have turned our attention to these problems." For full story, click here.

Architects design two-day event to explore issue of sea level rise

The Portland Society of Architects (Maine) will be looking at concerns like that during a two-day event called "Rising Tides," that aims to draw attention to the issue of sea level rise by looking at some likely effects in Portland and South Portland, Maine. The goal is to come up with concrete policy proposals for city and town officials in southern Maine to consider and to let the public know what areas might be vulnerable to rising sea levels, leading to a public discussion of the issues, said Paul Stevens, an architect at SMRT and president of the society. "Although people don't agree on the details, it's pretty clear this is happening," Stevens said of the rise. "Architects are all about planning ahead and that's what this is all about." For news story, click here. For more information about the recent forum that was held in Maine, click here.

NASA Captures Mississippi Flooding

By Alex He - International Business News – May 16, 2011
NASA unveiled a series of satellite images of the current Mississippi flooding that could reach depths of 20 feet in the coming weeks. NASA's fleet of Earth-observing satellites have been gathering data on the current Mississippi flooding as well as floods worldwide. The Mississippi River reached nearly 48 feet in Memphis, Tenn., on May 10, according to the U.S. National Weather Service. It was the highest water level for Memphis since 1937. For full story, click here. For a photo slideshow of the NASA coverage of the flood, click here.

Researchers Try to Help Prevent Climate Change Conflict

By Niko Colombant - Voice of America – May 11, 2011
Experts say climate change is contributing to more and more conflicts around the world, especially in Africa. Researchers and aid agencies say they are doing their best to help reduce this trend. At a panel discussion late Tuesday in Washington, Jeffrey Stark from the U.S.-based Foundation for Environmental Security and Sustainability described a worrisome scenario he recently encountered in the central cattle corridor of Uganda. "We heard basically a consensus that the climate has changed in significant kinds of ways. And so we did hear repeatedly that there had been increasing temperatures, drying wetlands, less frequent but more intense rain, hail storms and most significantly unpredictable shifts in seasonal patterns," said Stark. "The pastoralists in the cattle corridor have to travel farther in search of pasture and water and they encounter cultivators who are having difficulties of their own and they often come into conflict." For full story, click here.

Study Finds Sea-Level Rise Likely on West Coast

By David Gabel – ENN – May 5, 2011
For the last few decades, sea levels of the eastern North Pacific Ocean along the west coast of North America have remained remarkably steady as other sea levels rise around the world. That is due to the dominance of cold surface waters along the coast. According to a new study from the University of California (UC) San Diego, the cold waters on the coast will give way to warmer waters beginning this decade, which will lead to accelerated sea-level rise. The change in water temperature is related to the climate phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean known as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). For full article, click here.

Settlers Likely Responsible for Wetlands’ Growth

By Matt Kirwan – USGS – May 2, 2011
The work of settlers clearing the land two centuries ago may have had a far greater impact on wetland growth than previously known, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey study. Researchers found that deforestation in the New England area at that time produced significant soil erosion, increasing sediment delivery rates -- the natural flow of sand and soil in water systems. The large amounts of sediment traveling in rivers and streams to the coastline spurred a significant period of wetland growth, leading to marshes lining the coast of New England that today are abnormally large. “For more than 40 years, the rise and fall of sea-level has been thought to control the formation and behavior of coastal marshes,” said Matthew Kirwan, USGS research geologist and lead author of the new report. “Our findings suggest however that sediment delivery rates related to historical land use change are equally, and in some cases, a more important factor.” The scientists collected core samples along the Plum Island Estuary — the largest in New England— correlating the presence of fossils and other organic matter to the initial formation of the salt marsh. They found that these marshes began expanding rapidly during the 1700s and 1800s, a time when settlers were clearing forests and replacing them with farms. For full press release, click here.

Potpourri

Analysis of the Gulf Oil Spill 1 Year Later. Not Good!

The Green Living Guy - Green Economy (blog) - May 5, 2011
One year after the worst oil spill in U.S. history, a sorry legacy of enduring damage, a people wronged and a region scarred remains. The BP oil rig that exploded killed 11 workers and spewed some 170 million gallons of toxic crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Whether we look to habitat and wildlife, employment and pay, or basic health and family welfare, the BP oil blowout has devastated the region. The people of the Gulf Coast still live with the disaster every day. For full blog post, which includes video, click here.

Request for Wetland Mapping Proposals (New Mexico)

The New Mexico Environment Department has issued a Notice of Request for Proposal related to Mapping and Classification for Wetlands Protection, Northeastern New Mexico Highlands and Plains. Proposals are due June 2, 2011. For more information, click here.

Meetings and Training

Upper Delaware River Monitoring Workshops

Delaware Riverkeeper Network Seeking Citizen River Monitors. Become trained in stream testing protocols and help protect Delaware River tributaries threatened by natural gas extraction.

Two Dates: Saturday, June 25th – 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Starlight, PA. Register by June 16th.
Saturday August 6th – 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Hancock, NY area. Register by July 28th.
Cost: Free – equipment and space is limited so please register early
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Michigan Wetlands Association Announces 2011 State Wetland Conference

Tuesday, August 30, 2011 - Friday, September 02, 2011. The Michigan Wetlands Association is pleased to announce a statewide wetland conference, which will be held at the Grand Traverse Resort near Traverse City, Michigan. This conference will be co-sponsored by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, with financial support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the NOAA Coastal Zone Program, and will be open to the public. Highlights will include a special symposium on climate change adaptation – emphasizing the link between wetland management and restoration and response to climate change. The Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM) will contribute to this symposium, and to a paper prepared after the event summarizing recommendations for the state. Call for papers deadline is June 6, 2011. For full press release in PDF, click here (http://aswm.org/pdf_lib/mi_wetlands_pr_020211.pdf). For more details visit the MWA website (http://www.miwetlands.org/). For information on the Call for Papers, click here (http://www.miwetlands.org/).

Strategic Conservation Using a Green Infrastructure Approach

Monday, September 26, 2011 - Friday, September 30, 2011. The Conservation Fund is offering the course: Strategic Conservation Using a Green Infrastructure Approach to be held at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. This highly-acclaimed introductory course provides participants with a strategic approach for prioritizing conservation opportunities and a planning framework for conservation and development - integrating the green and the grey. Participants will experience firsthand how the green infrastructure approach can be used to connect environmental, social, and economic health across urban, suburban, and rural settings. Participants will also learn how green infrastructure planning can serve as a tool to inform land use decisions and build consensus among diverse interests. Limited scholarship assistance is available. Registration deadline: September 1st. For more information, visit: http://www.conservationfund.org/course/strategic_conservation_planning_using_green_infrastructure_approach

JOBS

Since the last issue of WBN (April), there have been 20 new wetland jobs added to the wetland jobs board here: http://aswm.org/news/jobs-a-training-opportunities

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The Association of State Wetland Managers' Wetland Breaking News is a monthly e-newsletter. Wetland Breaking News is an edited compilation of wetland-related stories and announcements submitted by readers and gleaned from list-servs, press releases and news sources from throughout the United States. The e-newsletter features legislative, national and state news relevant to wetland science and policy, wetland regulations and legal analysis of Supreme court cases; it also links to new publications and resources available to wetland professionals as well as events and training opportunities for those working in water resources and related fields. Wetland Breaking News has been published for over ten years and ASWM has been a think-tank and source for wetland science and policy news and discussion for over 20 years.

The items presented in Wetland Breaking News do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or of the Association of State Wetland Managers. Send your news items, comments, corrections, or suggestions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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"WETLAND BREAKING NEWS" Compiled and Edited by: Leah Stetson, ASWM; Executive Director: Jeanne Christie, ASWM

Association of State Wetland Managers, 32 Tandberg Trail, Ste. 2A, Windham, ME 04062. Telephone: 207-892-3399 Fax: 207-892-3089