EBTAG Annual Workshop and Field Trip
May 20-21, 2013

USFWS, jim_dick@fws.gov

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) National Wetlands Inventory Program (NWI) is responsible for the collecting and distributing data and information concerning wetland and riparian habitats of the United States. Geographic information on types and locations of various wetland and riparian habitats provide invaluable information for resource managers and planners dealing with protecting our natural resources while providing for human development and growth.

Though relatively small, the La Cienega Area of the Lower Santa Fe River, in Santa Fe County, is a unique area geographically and culturally. The area has a long history of human settlement, primarily because of the seep and spring wetlands that have been feeding the local drainages for centuries. Currently, as the city and county of Santa Fe expand, demand has increased for these waters, burdening local aquifers and surface waters, while degrading existing wetlands.

Developing a spatial database of wetland types, locations, and basic hydrologic functions is essential to any wetland protection, enhancement, and/or re-establishment program. The wetlands data and information collected from aerial imagery and field surveys, will serve as a baseline for long-term monitoring of these wetland systems.