Creating a comprehensive wetland inventory for use as a floodplain management tool

In 1986 the state of New Jersey enacted the Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act (FWPA). One requirement of this law charged the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) with developing an inventory of freshwater wetlands in the state. MARKHURD Corp. and Greenhorne & O'Mara, Inc. (G&O) were selected to conduct the inventory. MARKHURD Corp. was responsible for conducting the inventory and compiling final manuscripts for digitization. Wetland delineations were performed using stereoscopic interpretation of aerial photography combined with limited field verification. The final digital and hard copy format maps were delivered in May 1995. This comprehensive wetland inventory has proven to be a powerful resource management tool. This paper outlines the tools and methodologies used in the successful completion of this project and discusses some of the many uses of the inventory. The primary, tangible result of this project is a comprehensive inventory of the freshwater wetland resources in the state of New Jersey. The maps have gained wide acceptance and the confidence of public and private users throughout the state