22 Wetland Assessment Criteria 



stable than clay soils) and height and slope of the bank (Clark and Clark, 

 1979). 



The direct economic significance of the shoreline erosion control function 

 of wetlands was summarized by Adamus and Stockwell (1983) as follows: 

 "Millions of dollars are spent annually for construction of jetties, 

 bulkheads, and other structures intended to inhibit shoreline erosion by 

 waves and currents. Such erosion may destroy inhabited structures, 

 eliminate harvestable timber and peat, remove fertile soil and alter local 

 land uses. Eroded sediments may be redeposited in navigable channels, 

 aggravating the need for costly dredging." 



Wide, densely vegetated wetlands with a long linear extent, especially 

 along coastal areas, and those inland wetlands adjoining larger lakes or 

 rivers are generally more effective at performing this wetland function. 

 Coastal emergent and forested (e.g., cypress or mangrove) fringe 

 wetlands and inland forested and scrub-shrub wetlands are often 

 effective for protecting against erosion caused by storm tides or waves or 

 high velocity water during flooding or heavy runoff. The value of 

 riparian vegetation for streambank stabilization has been extensively 

 documented throughout the U.S. The public value of this function usually 

 is higher when developments or high value lands are located near 

 wetland areas. 



cL Outdoor Recreation 



Wetlands support boating, swimming, sport fishing, hunting, 

 birdwatching, nature observation and study and other wetland-related 

 recreational activities that generate billions of dollars of expenditures 

 annually. For example, 17.4 million hunters spent about $5.6 billion on 

 supplies, lodging, transportation and other related expenses in 1980 (U.S. 

 Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Commerce, 1982). Of 

 these totals, 5.3 million hunted waterfowl, spending about $640 million. 

 In total, fish and wildlife-related recreation in 1980 was a $41 billion 

 industry, largely based on wetland resources. 



Participation in water- and wetland-related outdoor recreation by 

 Americans twelve years and older was estimated in 1982-83 at 53 million 

 for boating, 64 million for fishing and 22 million for birdwatching (U.S. 

 Department of the Interior, 1986). Recreation in wetlands, such as hiking, 

 nature observation and photography, swimming, boating, and ice- 

 skating, is generally not evaluated in economic terms. Many people 

 simply enjoy the beauty and sounds of nature and spend their leisure time 

 walking or boating in or near wetlands observing plant and animal life. 

 The aesthetic value of wetlands is extremely difficult to evaluate or 

 quantify monetarily. Nonetheless, it is very important, because in 1980 

 alone, 28.8 million people (17 percent of the U.S. population) took special 

 trips simply to observe or photograph wildlife (U.S. Department of the 

 Interior and U.S. Department of Commerce, 1982). 



