50 



Cv^nte-^- 





s 





■'■.■1 . «. • 



Fig. 47. Comparison of the extent of natural or only slightly modified pocosins in Nonh Carolina, (a) early 1950's and (b) 1980 (from Richard- 

 son 1981). 



Although forestry and agricultural uses of pocosins 

 continue, peat mining represents a new threat to these 

 wetlands. Peat deposits about four feet thick generally 

 exist in coastal North Carolina. Interestingly enough, 

 some of the large agricultural corporations which own 

 many pocosins are already involved in peat mining oper- 

 ations. On December 22, 1982, the U.S. Synthetic Fuels 

 Corporation endorsed Federal subsidies for a $576 mil- 

 lion synfuel project in North Carolina. This project would 

 remove peat from 15,000 acres of pocosins to produce 

 methanol fuel and the land would subsequently be con- 

 verted to farmland. This practice of peat mining and agri- 

 culture has been conducted for years in northern states 

 like Minnesota. 



About 2.5 million acres of pocosins once existed in 

 North Carolina (Richardson, et al. 1981). Today, nearly 

 1 million acres survive in their natural condition. Thirty- 

 three percent of the original pocosins was converted to 

 agriculture or managed forests, while 36% was partially 

 drained or cleared or planned for development. Federal 

 wetland protection efforts through the Clean Water Act 

 have been inconsistent to date. In September 1983, the 

 Corps of Engineers was sued by various environmental 

 groups (National Wildlife Federation v. Hanson) over the 

 Corps" failure to take jurisdiction over a large pocosin. 

 The outcome of this court case may establish guidelines 

 for future protection. If the present trend continues, how- 

 ever, we can expect that many pocosins will be lost in the 

 near future. Moreover, a predicted change in estuarine 

 salinity patterns may adversely affect valuable fish and 

 shellfish nursery grounds and North Carolina's multi- 

 million dollar commercial fishery. 



Western Riparian Wetlands 



Lands within the 100 year floodplain and along the 

 margins of ponds and lakes in the arid and semiarid re- 



gions of the country (e.g., Arizona, New Mexico, Utah. 

 Nevada. Colorado, California, and eastern Oregon and 

 Washington) are commonly called riparian ecosystems. 

 They include both wetlands along streams and other wa- 

 terbodies. and uplands on floodplain terraces. Existing 

 information on the extent of this resource does not make a 

 clear distinction between wetland and upland because the 

 system as a whole is so important. However, loss of 

 riparian habitats in general serves to reflect trends in 

 associated wetlands. 



Riparian ecosystems provide abundant food, cover and 

 water for resident and migrating animals (Figure 48). 

 These thin ribbons of vegetation along streams and lakes 

 support a disproportionately large variety of wildlife. 

 Woody vegetation is used for nesting by birds and for 

 food and shelter by various mammals. Mule deer migrate 

 along streams between high elevation summer ranges and 

 low elevation winter ranges (Thomas, et al. 1979). Cot- 

 tonwood and willow wetlands are the prime bird habitats 

 in the West (Anderson, et al. 1977). Migrating birds 

 follow the Rio Grande corridor in the spring and fall and 

 riparian wetlands are very important to these birds 

 (Wauer 1977). Along the Lower Verde River in Arizona. 

 166 bird species frequented riparian habitats, including 

 the endangered bald eagle and endangered Yuma clapper 

 rail (McNatt. et al. 1980). 



Unfortunately, riparian ecosystems have been mis- 

 treated by man to the point where we can safely say that 

 they represent the most modified land type in the West. 

 Many riparian forests have been converted to cropland 

 and tame-grass prairie. Others have been badly over- 

 grazed by livestock. Heavy grazing has destroyed under- 

 story vegetation and has prevented regeneration of 

 riparian vegetation in many places. In Arizona, dam con- 

 struction on rivers poses the greatest threat to remaining 

 riparian lands (Todd 1978). Pumping of groundwater for 

 irrigation, municipal and industrial uses has lowered the 

 water table in many areas, drying up riparian wetlands 



