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Coastal Wetland Reviews: Highlights

he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and 

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

(NOAA) conducted Coastal Wetland Reviews along the 

Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts to better understand 

regional stressors on wetlands in coastal watersheds, local 

protection strategies, and key gaps, that if addressed, 

could help reverse the trend of wetland loss.

The Coastal Wetland Reviews, organized in collaboration 

with the federal Interagency Coastal Wetlands Workgroup, 

had two main components: 1) gathering available data 

about wetland loss in each review area and 2) convening 

local stakeholder discussions.

Coastal wetland review regions with focal watersheds highlighted. Source: NOAA.

The information and data collected were combined with input from 

stakeholder discussions in seven focal watersheds and will be presented 

in four regional reports: North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, 

and Gulf of Mexico. These can be found on EPA’s website at http://

water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/cwt.cfm.

These Coastal Wetland Reviews were initiated in response to a 2008 

report, published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA, entitled 

Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Coastal Watersheds of the Eastern 

United States: 1998–2004. This report indicated a net loss of approximately 

361,000 acres of coastal wetlands in the eastern United States between 

1998 and 2004—an average net decrease of 59,000 acres each year.1

 The 

vast majority of these losses occurred in freshwater wetlands.

Wetland loss and changes in land cover, 1998–2004:

Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Great Lakes1

Freshwater Wetlands

(299,540 Acres Lost)

Saltwater Wetlands

(61,560 Acres Lost)

Agriculture

3.60%

Deepwater

14.50%

Intertidal

Wetlands

0.05%

Other

Development

59.45%

Urban and Rural

Development

22.40%

Freshwater

Wetlands

0.32%

Urban and

Rural

Development

1.53%

Open

Saltwater

96.14%

Other

Uplands

2.01%

Stakeholder Discussions

The following questions were posed in each 

dialogue session held with local stakeholders 

(e.g., state and local agencies, watershed 

groups, academics):

1. What are the root causes of coastal wetland 

loss in your area?

2. What are the current regulatory and nonregulatory protection and restoration tools 

being used to adapt to or mitigate wetland 

loss in your area?

3. What are the successful strategies being 

employed to protect and restore coastal 

wetlands in your area?

4. What information gaps would be most 

helpful to address loss, and how can these 

gaps be addressed?

1

 Stedman, S., and T.E. Dahl (2008). Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Coastal Watersheds of the Eastern United States: 1998–2004.
Regional Wetland Loss Data

In addition to the Eastern U.S. loss data provided by 

the Status and Trends report,1

 data from NOAA’s Coastal 

Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) was used to estimate 

losses of coastal wetland acres on a regional basis. 

C-CAP examines changes in wetland acres by looking 

at changes in overall land use including wetlands 

(excluding submerged aquatic vegetation). Based on 

C-CAP estimates for each of the four Review regions:

•	 The Gulf of Mexico had the highest amount of total 

acreage loss, the greatest percentage of which was 

attributed to open water (typically associated with 

storms, erosion, subsidence, and sea level rise).

•	 Coastal wetland loss in the South Atlantic region 

was due in the largest part to development.

•	 The Mid-Atlantic region’s coastal wetlands were lost 

primarily to agricultural activities.

•	 The North Atlantic region had very low coastal 

wetland acreage loss compared to the other regions. 

Its losses were fairly evenly distributed between 

the four categories (note that “bare land” is often a 

precursor to development).

Stressors

Common stressors identified across the review areas 

include:

•	 Development

•	 Hydrologic modifications

•	 Climate change and sea level rise

•	 Agriculture and silviculture activities

•	 Cumulative impacts from “minor” alterations

•	 Shoreline hardening

•	 Subsidence

While stressors are traditionally limited to “physical, 

chemical, or biological entities, or processes that 

adversely affect the ecological condition of a natural 

ecosystem,” stakeholders in every review also 

identified programmatic issues as stressors related to 

loss of coastal wetlands.

Coastal Wetland Reviews: Highlights

The chart below displays total wetland acreage loss and resulting 

changes in land use in all four regions between 1996 and 2006.

Source: NOAA C-CAP. 1996-2006

North Atlantic

0

50

100

150

200

250

Mid-Atlantic

Acres (thousands)

South Atlantic Gulf of Mexico

Open Water

Developed

Bare Land

Agriculture

852 acres

39,824 acres

128,329 acres

256,138 acres

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

North Atlantic

Consistent with other federal agencies, EPA is defining “coastal 

wetlands” as saltwater and freshwater wetlands* within HUC-8 

watersheds that drain to the Atlantic, Pacific, or Gulf of Mexico. 

“Coastal wetland loss” is defined as “a decline in the areal extent 

and/or ecological integrity** of wetlands in coastal watersheds.”

* For the purposes of this initiative, “wetlands” means those areas meeting the 

definition of wetlands in: Cowardin, L. M., Carter, V., Golet, F.C., and E.T. LaRoe 

(1979). Classification of Wetlands and Deepwater Habitats of the United States. 

FWS/OBS-79-31. 131 pp.

** EPA recognizes that there is limited quantifiable data currently available 

regarding loss of wetland ecologic integrity.
Successful Tools and Strategies

North Atlantic Region

•	 State and Local Regulations: The Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act protects inland and coastal wetlands as well as 100-

year floodplains, isolated wetlands, beaches, dunes, and banks. Additionally, about one-third of municipalities have adopted local 

bylaws that are more stringent than state regulations.

•	 Enforcement: A major component of Massachusetts’ state program is its Wetlands Loss Mapping and Enforcement effort, which 

crosswalks a permit-tracking database to wetland losses observed on aerial photographs. Losses observed in aerial photographs 

that are not associated with permitted activities are flagged as potential violations, which are then investigated.

Mid-Atlantic Region

•	 Monitoring and Assessment Program: The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary led a collaborative effort to design a three-tiered monitoring and assessment program to track the extent and health of tidal 

wetlands.

•	 Wetland Data Tools: The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), 

working in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, has developed a number of tools to support wetland 

management decisions. Under development is a new wetland condition assessment tool, which includes a wetland data viewer and data 

layers to identify sensitive wetland areas and cumulative impacts. The 

tool will be used to prioritize restoration sites, evaluate performance of compensatory mitigation to replace function, and steer 

development away from highest value wetlands.

•	 Living Shorelines: “Living shorelines” is a method used to allow landward migration of coastal wetlands, which can help them 

adapt to sea level rise. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has completed shoreline management plans for its entire 

Chesapeake Bay shoreline using the living shorelines model, and other states are beginning to use this strategy as well.

South Atlantic Region

•	 Watershed Planning and Wetlands Assessment: North Carolina, a leader in watershed planning, implements a watershed approach to wetland protection. The North Carolina Coastal Region Evaluation of Wetland Significance (NC-CREWS) is a functional 

wetland assessment model. It works in conjunction with North Carolina’s in-lieu fee mitigation program (the Ecosystem Enhancement Program), which is also watershed-based, and has a very high rate of compliance.

•	 Volunteer Efforts: In Florida, the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program—as well as other entities—are conducting a wide 

range of volunteer efforts. Volunteers participate in invasive species removal, water quality sampling, and public education.

Gulf of Mexico Region

•	 Beneficial Use of Dredge Material: In both Texas and Mississippi, material dredged from 

federal navigation projects is being beneficially used for wetland restoration and beach 

nourishment. Since 1995, navigational dredge material from Galveston Bay has been used 

to restore over 2,000 acres of wetlands. Dredged sediment from Biloxi Harbor was used to 

restore Deer Island (a Mississippi Coastal Preserves site) in 2005 and additional fill will be 

placed on the island as part of the Mississippi Coastal Improvement Program.

•	 Conservation: The Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain (LTMCP), a non-profit organization based in Biloxi, works to establish a long-term conservation program that reflects 

regional priorities. Working with almost two dozen state agencies, federal agencies, and 

non-profit organizations, LTMCP is developing a GIS-based tool to rank land based on 

established conservation priorities. The tool is used to support their funding requests and 

to inform mitigation efforts.

Coastal Wetland Reviews: Highlights

Newly planted marsh with fiber logs allowing plants to establish root system 

and stabilize shoreline. Source: VIMS.

Deer Island restoration.

Source: Susan Rees, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Coastal Wetland Reviews: Highlights

Gaps and Needs

Although participants identified different gaps for each watershed, the following represents some of the most commonly expressed 

views across all of the regions in which reviews were conducted:

•	 Improved collaboration between local, state, and federal 

 agencies and non-profit organizations

•	 Increased use of watershed planning, land use planning, 

zoning, and low impact development at the local scale to 

reduce the impact of development on coastal watersheds

•	 Permit streamlining for restoration projects such as living 

 shorelines and removal of tidal restrictions

•	 Education and increased awareness of local officials and

the public regarding coastal wetlands

•	 Greater understanding of ecosystem services provided by 

coastal wetlands

•	 Additional resources (e.g., funding, staff) to support regulatory 

and non-regulatory programs

•	 Stronger and greater publicity of enforcement actions to deter 

violators and to increase compliance

•	 Evaluation of the effectiveness of wetland mitigation to offset 

losses of wetland acreage and function

•	 Centralized and accessible database documenting authorized 

(permitted) wetland losses, mitigation, exempt activities, spatial 

data, and where available, monitoring data on wetland function

•	 More accurate wetland mapping including greater use of LiDAR

Next Steps and More Information

EPA will disseminate information about the Reviews 

to increase understanding of the factors contributing 

to wetland loss and to share transferable tools and 

practices that wetland resource managers can apply 

in their own coastal watersheds. EPA will work 

to encourage the greater adoption of successful 

approaches through demonstration projects, capacity 

building, communication vehicles, and collaborative 

partnership activities. EPA and NOAA will continue to 

work with the federal Interagency Coastal Wetlands 

Workgroup and seek opportunities to collaborate with 

state, tribal, and local partners to address gaps and 

needs identified in the reviews.

We hope you will use the information from these 

reviews to help inform the management of your 

coastal wetlands. Please visit EPA’s Coastal Wetlands 

webpage, which contains further information about 

coastal wetlands, the Coastal Wetland Reviews, and 

the Interagency Coastal Wetlands Workgroup efforts to 

address wetland loss:

http://water.epa.gov/type/wetlands/cwt.cfm