ZOOMED PONDS & WETLANDS
in the CATSKILL MOUNTAIN REGION
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Wetlands are "those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands include swamps, bogs, marshes, and wet meadows."

[Federal wetland definition; from USEPA publication]

"Wetlands in the headwater streams of the Catskills provide critical storage capacity to retain water from snowmelt and precipitation, reducing downstream flooding. Floodplain wetlands intercept runoff from roads and other impervious surfaces, and catch sediment and other pollutants before they enter streams and impair water quality and aquatic habitat. Wetlands provide habitat for unique flora and fauna, many of which are threatened due to the loss of extensive acreage to competing land uses. Their high productivity provides the base of the aquatic food chain, providing spawning, feeding, and nursery grounds for fish and other aquatic species. Wetlands also provide open space for aesthetics, recreation, outdoor education, and scientific research".

[Taken from the New York State Wetlands Forum Newsletter]

People exploring the Catskills will come across a variety of wetland types. Ponds and streams often have inundated areas where the soil is wet much of the year. Beavers can dam waterways, creating small ponds and marshy areas dominated by grasses and sedges. Swamps are characterized by standing dead trees called ‘snags’, and are important nesting areas for birds such as great blue herons and wood ducks. Vernal pools are small, seasonally wet depressions that are critical areas for breeding amphibians. Bogs are relics of the time of glacial recession, thousands of years go, and they may be found within the higher elevation forests, or around the margins of certain ponds. Bog water is acidic and decomposition is very slow; plants that have adapted to life in a bog include sphagnum moss, and carnivorous pitcher plants and sundews.