CONTENTS 



INTRODUCTION XI 



WETLAND ISSUES NOW FACING CONGRESS 1 



INTRODUCTION 1 



WETLAND SCIENCE 3 



WETLAND LAW 10 



FEDERAL/STATE RELATIONS 25 



WETLANDS : THE STATUS OF KNOWLEDGE 34 



INTRODUCTION 34 



DEFINING WETLANDS 35 



General Characteristics 35 



Scientists and Wetland Managers 38 



Wetland Boundaries 41 



WETLAND RESOURCES 44 



Functions of Wetlands 44 



Food Chain 45 



Habitat 46 



Hydrologic and Hydraulic 48 



Water Quality Maintenance 49 



Harvest and Heritage 50 



Value of Wetlands 51 



WETLAND ALTERATION 54 



Filling 55 



Dredging 56 



Draining 57 



Impoundment 59 



Indirect Alterations 59 



Creating Wetlands 60 



WETLAND CENSUS— MEASURING CHANGE 61 



SUMMARY 68 



FEDERAL WETLAND PROGRAMS 71 



INTRODUCTION 71 



HISTORY OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN WETLANDS 72 



FEDERAL PROGRAMS REGULATING ACTIVITIES IN WETLANDS 74 



Section 10 74 



Creation of the Section 404 Program 76 



Implementing Section 404 78 



Responses 79 



The Permitting Process 88 



The Role of EPA 93 



Roles of the Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries 



Service 95 



(IX) 



