purposes. (Note: Dominant species are those spe- 

 cies in each stratum that, when ranked in decreas- 

 ing order of abundance and cumulatively totaled, 

 immediately exceed 50 percent of the total domi- 

 nance measure for that stratum, plus any additional 

 plant species comprising 20 percent or more of the 

 total dominance measure for the stratum.) After 

 identifying dominants within each vegetative stra- 

 tum, proceed to Step 5. 



Step 5. Record the indicator status of domi- 

 nant species in all strata. Indicator status is 

 obtained from the interagency Federal list of plants 

 occurring in wedands for the appropriate geograph- 

 ic region. Record indicator status for all dominant 

 plant species on a data form. Proceed to Step 6. 



Step 6. Determine whether the hydrophytic 

 vegetation criterion is met. When more than 50 per- 

 cent of the dominant species in each community 

 type have an indicator status of OBL, FACW, and/ 

 or FAC, the vegetation is hydrophytic. Complete 

 the vegetation section of the data form. Portions of 

 the project area failing this test are usually not wet- 

 lands, although under certain circumstances they 

 may have hydrophytic vegetation (follow the prob- 

 lem area wetland determination procedures on p. 

 55). If hydrophytic vegetation is present, proceed 

 to Step 7. 



Step 7. Determine whether soils must be 

 characterized. Examine vegetative data collected for 

 each plant community (in Steps 5 and 6) and identi- 

 fy any plant community where: (1) all dominant 

 species have an indicator status of OBL, or (2) all 

 dominant species have an indicator status of OBL 

 and FACW and the wetland boundary is abrupt. 

 For these communities, hydric soils are assumed to 

 be present and do not need to be examined; proceed 

 to Step 9. Plant communities lacking the above 

 characteristics must have soils examined; proceed 

 to Step 8. 



Step 8. Determine whether the hydric soil 

 criterion is met. Locate the observation area on a 

 county soil survey map, if possible, and determine 

 the soil map unit delineation for the area. Using a 

 soil auger, probe, or spade, make a hole at least 18 

 inches deep at the representative location in each 

 plant community type. Examine soil characteristics 

 and compare if possible to soil descriptions in the 

 county soil survey report. If soil colors match 

 those described for hydric soil, then record data 

 and proceed to Step 9. If not, then check for hydric 



soil indicators below the A-horizon (surface layer) 

 and within 18 inches for organic soils and for min- 

 eral soils with low permeability rates (<6.0 inches/ A 

 hour), within 12 inches for coarse-textured (sandy) " 

 mineral soils with high permeability rates (>6.0 

 inches/hour), and within 6 inches for somewhat 

 poorly drained soils. {Note: If the A-horizon 

 extends below the designated depth, look immedi- 

 ately below the A-horizon for signs of hydric soil.) 

 Are hydric soil indicators present (see pp. 13-15)? 

 If so, list indicators present on an appropriate data 

 form and proceed to Step 9. If soil has been 

 plowed or otherwise altered, which may have elim- 

 inated these indicators, proceed to the section on 

 disturbed areas (p. 50). If field indicators are not 

 present, but available information verifies that the 

 hydric soil criterion is met, then the soil is" hydric. 

 Complete the soils section on the appropriate data 

 sheet. {CAUTION: Become familiar with proble- 

 matic hydric soils that do not possess good hydric 

 field indicators, such as red parent material soils, 

 some sandy soils, and some floodplain soils, so 

 that these hydric soils are not misidentified as non- 

 hydric soils; see the problem area wetiands discus- 

 sion on p. 55.) 



Step 9. Determine whether the wetland 

 hydrology criterion is met. Examine the area of 

 each plant community type for indicators of wet- | 

 land hydrology (see pp. 17-19). The wetland 

 hydrology criterion is met when: 



1) one or more field indicators are present; 



or 



2) available hydrologic records provide suf- 

 ficient evidence; or 



3) the plant community is dominated by 

 OBL, FACW and/or FAC species or has a preva- 

 lence index of less than 3.0, and the area has not 

 been hydrologically disturbed. 



If the area is hydrologically disturbed, proceed to 

 the section on disturbed areas (p. 50). Record 

 observations and other evidence on the appropriate 

 data form. Proceed to Step 10. 



Step 10. Make the wetland determination. 

 Examine data forms for each plant community 

 identified in the project area. Each community 

 meeting the hydrophytic vegetation, hydric soil, 

 and wetiand hydrology criteria is considered wet- 

 land. If all communities meet these tiiree criteria, 



34 



