DEFINITION OF A DISTURBED WETLAND AREA AND ITS DELINEATION 

 PROCEDURES 



1989 MANUAL: 



Disturbed wetland areas include situations where field indicators of one or more 

 of the three wetland identification criteria are obliterated or not present due to 

 recent change. 



For disturbed areas where vegetation is removed and no other alterations have 

 been done, the presence of hydric soils and evidence of wetland hydrology will 

 be used to identify wetlands. If such evidence is found, conditions are assumed 

 to be sufficient to support hydrophytic vegetation. 



PROPOSED REVISED MANUAL: 



Disturbed wetland areas are wetlands that met the mandatory criteria prior to 

 disturbance and have had vegetation, soils, and/or hydrology altered such that the 

 required evidence of the relevant indicators for the affected criteria has been 

 removed. If a disturbed area is identified as a wetland, field personnel shall 

 document the reasons for determining that the site would have been a wetland 

 but for the disturbance. 



For disturbed area where the vegetation is removed and no other alterations 

 have been done, evidence of the elimination of the hydrophytic vegetation 

 together with the presence of hydric soils and evidence of wetland hydrology 

 must be used to identify wetlands. 



