A Technical Standard for Assessing Hydrology in Wetland Restoration Sites.

Wetlands must be restored or created to compensate for other wetlands that are filled in for constructions projects that build roads or houses.  The restoration of hydrology is the most critical part of a restoration effort, and it is also the most difficult component to evaluate in determining a restoration project’s success.  A technical standard for evaluating wetland hydrology was developed for the NC Ecosystem Enhancement Program which is a state agency responsible for wetland restoration in NC.  The method relies on on-site measurements of water table levels along with rainfall, and is based, in part, on guidelines from the Corps of Engineers.  It proposes that two methods can be applied to any restoration site: i) a “single-season” method which is used for periods where rainfall is normal or dryer that normal, ii) a modeling approach that supplies long term data for interpretation.  Details for each procedure will be reviewed with emphasis placed on the evaluation of rainfall in assessing hydrology.  Results from case studies will be used to illustrate each method.