Nutrient Criteria Development Document: Wetlands

The Nutrient Criteria Technical Guidance Manual: Wetlands provides scientifically defensible technical support in developing numeric nutrient criteria to protect the designated uses of wetlands.

• Fact Sheet (November 24, 2008)
• Nutrient Criteria Technical Guidance Manual: Wetlands
• Wetlands Modules

Nutrient Criteria Technical Guidance Manual: Wetlands

• Nutrient Criteria Technical Guidance Manual: Wetlands (pdf) (2.27 MB, June 2008, EPA 822-B-08-001)
  • Chapter 1: Introduction
  • Chapter 2: Overview of Wetland Science
  • Chapter 3: Classification of Wetlands
  • Chapter 4: Sampling Design for Wetland Monitoring
  • Chapter 5: Candidate Variables for Establishing Nutrient Criteria
  • Chapter 6: Database Development and New Data Collection
  • Chapter 7: Data Analysis
  • Chapter 8: Criteria Development
  • References
  • Appendices

Wetlands Modules

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prepared the following modules to give states and Tribes "state-of-the-science" information that will help them develop biological assessment methods to evaluate both the overall ecological condition of wetlands and nutrient enrichment (one of the primary stressors on many wetlands). The wetlands modules are a starting point to help states and Tribes establish biological and nutrient water quality criteria specifically refined for wetlands.

1. Introduction to Wetland Biological Assessment (pdf) (1.6 MB, March 2002, EPA 822-R-02-014)
2. Introduction to Wetland Nutrient Assessment  ¹ 
3. The State of Wetland Science  ¹ 
4. Study Design for Monitoring Wetlands (pdf) (468.08 KB, March 2002, EPA 822-R-02-015)
5. Administrative Framework for the Implementation of a Wetland Bioassessment Program  ¹ 
6. Developing Metrics and Indexes of Biological Integrity (pdf) (598.93 KB, March 2002, EPA 822-R-02-016)
7. Wetlands Classification (pdf) (2.23 MB, March 2002, EPA 822-R-02-017)
8. Volunteers and Wetland Biomonitoring (pdf) (475.28 KB, March 2002, EPA 822-R-02-018)
9. Developing an Invertebrate Index of Biological Integrity for Wetlands (pdf) (1.56 MB, March 2002, EPA 822-R-02-019)
10. Using Vegetation To Assess Environmental Conditions in Wetlands (pdf) (2.1 MB, March 2002, EPA 822-R-02-020)
11. Using Algae To Assess Environmental Conditions in Wetlands (pdf) (812.22 KB, March 2002, EPA 822-R-02-021)
12. Using Amphibians in Bioassessments of Wetlands (pdf) (1.05 MB, March 2002, EPA 822-R-02-022)
13. Biological Assessment Methods for Birds (pdf) (813.28 KB, March 2002, EPA 822-R-02-023)
14. Wetland Bioassessment Case Studies (pdf) (1.22 MB, May 2003, EPA 822-R-03-013)
15. Bioassessment Methods for Fish  ¹ 
16. Vegetation-Based Indicators of Wetland Nutrient Enrichment (pdf) (873.57 KB, March 2002, EPA 822-R-02-024)
17. Land-Use Characterization for Nutrient and Sediment Risk Assessment (pdf) (443.02 KB, March 2002, EPA 822-R-02-025)
18. Biogeochemical Indicators (pdf) (2.07 MB, December 2008, EPA 822-R-08-022)
19. Nutrient Loading (pdf) (947.73 KB, December 2008, EPA 822-R-08-023)
20. Wetland Hydrology (pdf) (1.46 MB, December 2008, EPA 822-R-08-024)