New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 6 - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION › Chapter X - DIVISION OF WATER RESOURCES › Subchapter A - GENERAL › Article 1 - MISCELLANEOUS RULES › Part 664 - Freshwater Wetlands Maps And Classification › Section 664.6 - Explanation of classification characteristics

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
This section describes characteristics and their
						associated benefits used in classifying wetlands in section
						664.5  of
						this Part.
(a) Cover types. The
					 different wetland cover types described in this subdivision provide wetland
					 benefits to varying degrees. In order for a wetland to be considered to be of a
					 given cover type and classified accordingly, that cover type should constitute
					 at least 50 percent of the area of the wetland. However, if no single cover
					 type constitutes 50 percent or more of the wetland area, this aspect of the
					 wetland's classification shall be determined by adding up the areas of all the
					 separate cover types in each class and then assigning the wetland to the class
					 that represents the largest proportion of the wetland's area. As listed in
					 section
					 664.5  of
					 this Part, the only class II cover type is emergent marsh in which purple
					 loosestrife and/or reed (phragmites) constitutes less than two thirds of the
					 cover type; class III cover types are emergent marsh in which purple
					 loosestrife and/or reed (phragmites) constitutes two thirds or more of the
					 cover type, deciduous swamp, shrub swamp, floating and/or submergent
					 vegetation, and wetland open water; and class IV cover types are wet meadow and
					 coniferous swamp. The evaluations of cover types in this subdivision are
					 distinct from the evaluations of structural groups provided in paragraph (b)(1)
					 of this section.
(1) Wet meadow. This
					 consists of such plants as sedges, rushes, coarse grasses, and sometimes
					 cattails. The soil is usually saturated with water for a significant part of
					 the growing season. Vegetation tends to grow in clumps or tussocks. Cattails,
					 if present, tend to grow between the clumps. In agricultural areas, wet meadow
					 is usually a cleared but uncultivated parcel; often it is pastured. If the land
					 is pastured, the clumps are more pronounced due to trampling by livestock. Wet
					 meadow may occur within or at the edges of a hayfield and may be mowed,
					 depending upon the degree of wetness. Old beaver meadows and floodplains may
					 contain wet meadow vegetation. Standing water is often present during wet
					 periods. Wet meadow, when associated with other wetland cover types, is
					 valuable for wildlife, especially for nesting wetland birds. When associated
					 with certain other wetland cover types or with open water, wet meadow may be
					 valuable for fish spawning. When not associated with other wetland cover types,
					 however, wet meadow is likely to be of relatively low value.
(2) Emergent marsh. This consists of such
					 plants as cattails, purple loosestrife, swamp loosestrife, arrowheads, reeds,
					 bur reeds, pickerelweed, wild rice, water plantain, bulrushes and arrow arum.
					 These are herbaceous plants encroaching on water areas and flooded with
					 standing water much of the year. Emergent marsh is generally the most valuable
					 individual cover type. The emergent vegetation itself provides nesting habitat,
					 food and cover. Frequently, emergent vegetation produces the largest annual
					 increase in natural organic materials of any cover type, providing nonpolluting
					 nutrients to food chains. An emergent marsh is usually different in physical
					 structure from surrounding areas and therefore provides habitat diversity. An
					 exception to the high value assigned to emergent marsh may occur where purple
					 loosestrife or reed (phragmites) is dominant, in that it constitutes two thirds
					 or more of the cover type. In this case, a wetland shall be a class III
					 wetland.
(3) Deciduous swamp. This
					 consists of live deciduous trees over 4.5 meters (approximately 15 feet) in
					 height. If not totally flooded, the terrain is hummocky. The trees include, but
					 are not limited to, American elm, red maple, silver maple, red ash, black ash,
					 swamp white oak, and willows. Deciduous swamps will generally be flooded or
					 saturated during the spring and early summer but are likely to appear dry
					 toward the end of summer and in the fall. Deciduous swamp is relatively
					 valuable because it is frequently used by nesting waterfowl and is also heavily
					 used by songbirds and other wildlife.
(4) Coniferous swamp. This consists of live
					 coniferous trees over 4.5 meters (approximately 15 feet) in height. Some of the
					 coniferous trees most commonly found in wetlands are black spruce, white cedar,
					 red spruce, balsam fir and American larch. Flooded conifers usually grow in
					 hummocky terrain. The trees tend to grow out of the drier hummocks with pockets
					 of water forming between the hummocks. The value of coniferous swamp for
					 wildlife is considered to be relatively low, although coniferous swamp can
					 provide important winter cover for deer and habitat for varying hare.
(5) Shrub swamp. This cover type is found in
					 a variety of areas including floodplains; frost pockets; edges of ponds, lakes
					 and bogs; and in association with hillside seeps. Woody vegetation is
					 classified as shrub swamp if it is 4.5 meters (approximately 15 feet) or less
					 in height. Species include: alders, willows, leather-leaf, bog rosemary, sweet
					 gale, buttonbush, highbush cranberry, and red osier dogwood. Also, sphagnum
					 moss in bog mats usually occurs in association with shrub species. The value of
					 shrub swamp for fish and wildlife is variable, but shrub swamp can provide some
					 of the values of emergent marsh or deciduous swamp: it is likely to have a
					 structure different from surrounding areas and may supply significant nesting
					 and other wildlife uses.
(6)
					 Floating and submergent vegetation. Floating wetland vegetation may be
					 free-floating, such as duckweed and watermeal, or rooted with floating leaves,
					 such as water lily, water shield and spatterdock. Submergent plants, such as
					 pondweeds, naiads, coontail, water milfoil, wild celery, muskgrass, stonewort,
					 water smartweed, and bladderworts, normally grow beneath the surface of the
					 water. These cover types can be important food sources for waterfowl and
					 frequently are valuable areas for fish spawning and nurseries.
(7) Wetland open water, including open water
					 with dead trees and open water that occasionally exposes unvegetated mud flats.
					 Unvegetated open water is part of a wetland as a wetland cover type if it is
					 substantially enclosed by wetland vegetation and is no larger than 2.5 hectares
					 (approximately 6.2 acres). If the body of open water that is substantially
					 enclosed by wetland vegetation is larger than 2.5 hectares (approximately 6.2
					 acres), then only that portion of the open water that is within 50 meters
					 (approximately 165 feet) of the wetland vegetation is considered to constitute
					 a wetland cover type and to be part of a wetland. When in close conjunction
					 with wetland vegetation, open water can be of considerable value as fish and
					 wildlife habitat.