Wetland Inventory

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Wetland Inventory Image

The purpose of this inventory is to conduct a habitat assessment of freshwater wetlands on Sapelo Island.  There is a detailed habitat map of the island, however, there was a need for more information on the characterizing of these freshwater habitats on the island.   From this assessment we can gain a better understanding of potential freshwater fauna, such as amphibians that may inhabit the island.

Freshwater seeps are rare on Sapelo Island.  Anthropogenic manipulations, such as canaling and ditching for agriculture practices by previous island owners, drained or changed the hydrology of the original wetlands that were once central to the island.  In recent years, coastal freshwater resources have become scarcer as anthropogenic demand increases. This increased demand is not only caused by coastal population growth but also by commercial endeavors such as industrial plants upriver.  In addition, as sea levels rise resulting in increased high tide events, there is a greater occurrence of land over-wash by sea water.  It is unclear how variable the water quality may be within Sapelo Island’s perennial wetlands. It is likely some freshwater wetlands might fluctuate in pH or salinity over a relatively short amount of time, reducing their habitat quality.  It is intended that this project will aid in developing best practices for palustrine wetland conservation on Sapelo Island, and on barrier islands in general.

Since August 2017 we have been monitoring water quality parameters such as temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and salinity for 17 selected wetlands in various areas on the island. Many more freshwater wetlands are on the island which we are in the process of compiling into a complete inventory.   Using high resolution imagery paired with ground confirmation efforts, we will differentiate between permanent and ephemeral wetlands, as well as inland saline or freshwater wetlands.  Preliminary findings have indicated high fluctuations in temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and water levels in several wetlands.