Nez Perce Tribe Wetland Program

Elisabeth Brackney, Wetlands Planner

Wetland Functions and Values

· Improving water quality

· Attenuating flooding

· Maintaining water tables

· Supplementing stream flow

· Providing wildlife habitat

· Supplying cultural plants

· Recreational and aesthetic values

Wetlands Improve Water Quality

· Sediment settles out in slow-moving water

· Suspended pollutants are filtered out by wetland plants

· Nutrients are taken up by plants

· Phosphorus is adsorbed by wetland soils

· BOD and nitrogen are decomposed by bacteria on plant and soil surfaces

· Heavy metals and toxic chemicals are buried in sediments and peat

Project Goals

· Inventory existing wetlands on Tribal land

· Assess the functions and condition of those wetlands

· Plan for proper management of the Tribe’s wetland resources

Project Objectives

· Determine the causes, effects, and extent of wetland degradation

· Develop strategies to prevent, reduce, or eliminate negative impacts on wetlands

· Identify, evaluate, and prioritize wetlands in need of restoration or mitigation

· Identify and prioritize wetland areas to be considered for acquisition

Data Collected

· Location, wetland size, type of water body, hydrology, soils;

· Wetland classification by Hydrogeomorphic Method (HGM) and Cowardin system

· Land use and impacts on wetland

· Inventory of noxious and invasive weeds, cultural plants, wetland plants estimate of percent cover

· Evaluation of wildlife habitat (including suitability for beaver); wildlife observed

· Potential wetland functions and values

· Recommendations for management and restoration

What can Tribes do to protect wetlands?

· Initiate watershed planning efforts that include isolated or vulnerable wetlands

· Inventory and assess wetland resources on tribal lands

· Develop water quality standards for wetlands

· Initiate wetland restoration and monitoring efforts

· Develop and institute wetland regulations

Wetlands Restoration

· Establish a program that supports wetland restoration

· Encourage or pursue research on effectiveness of wetland restoration methods

· Build in-house capacity to provide technical assistance for wetland restoration efforts

· Actively pursue wetland restoration on tribally owned lands

Link to the

Interactive maps

Link to EPA Regulations

Link to the

Status Report of Implementing & Enforcing the UST Program in Indian Country