Wetlands 101 – Eastern Washington
Wetlands 101 is a four-part video series for local government planners, especially those working in small jurisdictions with no technical wetland support staff. The series is intended to provide the basic tools that planners need to:
- Recognize a wetland.
- Assess whether a wetland delineation report provides adequate and accurate information.
- Feel comfortable discussing wetlands with applicants and their consultants.
For each wetland indicator such as hydrology, soils, and vegetation, we also discuss how to review the corresponding portion of the wetland delineation form.
Videos
View our YouTube videos:
We are working to complete a hydric soils video. If you have questions about the video series, please contact Yolanda Holder (yolanda.holder@ecy.wa.gov).
As time and resources allow, we host webinars on various wetland topics. We announce webinars on our Wetlands Information email listserv and we also post announcements on this page.
There are currently no webinars scheduled. See information on past webinars below.
Wetlands 101 (March 2015)
A two-part series for local government planners, particularly those in small jurisdictions with no technical wetland support staff. It is intended to give planners the basic tools they need to be able to recognize a wetland, to assess whether a wetland delineation report provides adequate and accurate information, and to feel comfortable discussing wetlands with applicants and their consultants.
For each wetland indicator (hydrology, soils, vegetation), we discuss how to review the corresponding portion of the wetland delineation form.
*Important Note: The information in the slides and notes was developed to accompany the webinar. The information was current at the time of the March 2015 webinar.
2014 updates to the state Wetland Rating System (June 2014)
On June 3, 2014, Ecology wetland staff hosted a one-hour webinar regarding the 2014 updates to the Washington State Wetland Rating Systems. This presentation provides information about integrating the updates into a Critical Areas Ordinance.
Coastal Training Program
We offer courses on managing coastal, estuarine, and wetland resources through our Coastal Training Program. The program is coordinated by several agencies to provide practical, science-based training to professionals who make decisions about coastal management in Washington.
The program is administered through the
Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, which we manage in partnership with the
NOAA Office for Coastal Management.
Society of Wetland Scientists (Pacific Northwest Chapter)
The Society of Wetland Scientists Pacific Northwest Chapter occasionally offers training or workshops about wetlands and mitigation topics.
Visit their events web page for information on upcoming classes.
Many Washingtonians want to help preserve, protect, or restore wetlands. We encourage this responsible wetland stewardship and have a couple of resources to help:
- At Home With Wetlands: A Landowners Guide: Things you can do for your wetland.
- Homeowners' Guide to Wetlands & Buffers: Homeowners play a big role in wetland protection and health. This guide provides information for homeowners on how to protect wetlands and information on the importance of buffers to wetlands protection. It also includes gardening and yard care tips for every season.
- Guide to Healthy Streams, Lakes, and Wetlands for Small Farms and Rural Landowners in Eastern Washington: When you look out the window of your house you see the land that is part of a watershed. Any water that falls on the land moves downhill to create streams, lakes, and rivers. The purpose of this book is to provide you with a better understanding of the many components that make up a healthy watershed. In addition, this book explains what you can do on your property to protect the lakes, streams, and wetlands that make Eastern Washington such a wonderful place to live!
We encourage, support, and provide several resources to educate people of all ages about wetlands and their role in a healthy watershed. Understanding these connections is essential to preserving our remaining wetlands for people, fish, and other wildlife of Washington.
- Discover Wetlands: A curriculum guide for grades K-12 focused on Washington's wetlands, what they are, their value, and human affects on them. Includes wetland plant and animal identification cards and field studies.
- Learn about wetland functions and values: A web page with information about wetland functions and values, and links to more information.
- Washington's Wetlands: A booklet providing general information about wetlands.
- Wetlands: A small, illustrated children's book about wetlands. Grasses, plants, insects, birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, mud, and water are introduced one by one.
- Wetland videos: We can provide the following videos all on one DVD:
- Fabulous Wetlands (7 minutes): A wacky and entertaining video featuring Bill Nye "the Science Guy" talking about the importance of wetlands. You can now view this video on YouTube.
- Washington Wetlands (15 minutes): A video of still images that provides an overview of the functions of values fresh and saltwater wetlands in Washington.
- Yellowlegs, Eelgrass, and Tideflats (28 minutes): Film about the natural history of Washington's estuaries emphasizing the variety of wildlife common to these areas.