While these wetlands are not directly connected to rivers, lakes and other surface waters, they too play an important role in the health of water networks, sequestering water from rain fall and filtering out contaminants as water is released into the groundwater table. Adopt an Ephemeral Wetland Monitor amphibian populations in temporary wetlands. Like ephemeral streams, non-adjacent wetlands serve an equally important function. When it does rain, ephemeral streams carry this soil downstream which gets deposited along the riverbank, replenishing the area with sediment.Īdditionally, when there is an abundance of rain, ephemeral streams carry enough waters to have some of it absorbed by the ground, replenishing their groundwater tables. During dry spells, dried up stream beds build up layers of nutrient-rich soil. Termed hydroperiod, the duration a pond holds water can vary from 1 or 2 weeks to 1 or 2 years, and hydroperiod can vary from year to year and pond to pond. This rule will have major impacts to water quality because of the importance of ephemeral waters and non-adjacent wetlands.īut you might be asking: what exactly are these waterbodies, and why are they so important?Įphemeral streams are dry stream beds that flow as rivers or streams after periods of rainfall. Ephemeral wetlands are usually small, isolated ponds with a cyclic nature of drying and refilling. The objective of this project is the restoration and maintenance of small, ephemeral wetlands to provide suitable breeding habitat for rare and endemic amphibian species. The role of reserves and anthropogenic habitats for functional connectivity and resilience of ephemeral wetlands. ecosystem, population, habitat, adaptation. In addition, I will apply experimental treatments including thinning and burning to an array of ephemeral ponds in a replicated factorial design. What environmental groups are calling the “Dirty Water Rule” eliminates a number of federal protections for ephemeral waters, such as small streams, as well as wetlands not directly adjacent to other waterbodies. Learn about wetlands and how they meet the needs of various inhabitants.

In February, the US Environmental Protection Agency released its replacement to the Obama-era Waters of the US Rule.