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i • -- WETLAND INVENTORY Wetlands are those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances, do support a prevalence of vegetation adapted for life under saturated soil conditions. Wetlands include swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas, but may also include wet meadows, floodplains, hillside seeps and other areas which may be relatively dry during much of the year. In recent years, evidence has grown in support of the physical, chemical and ecological values of wetland habitat. Wetlands may function to varying degrees in flood storage and desynchronization, groundwater recharge or discharge, sediment entrapment, nutrient retention, bank stabilization and erosion control, passive recreation areas, fish and wildlife habitat, as well as refuges for remaining vestiges of native flora. Within the Verona area, wetlands are found primarily along the floodplains of the Sugar River and Badger Mill Creek, as well as in association with poorly drained glacial outwash areas such as Goose Lake. This information is based on the wetlands inventory 1 for Dane County prepared by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Site specific data were developed through field surveys conducted in the fall of 1987. Preliminary species lists are attached at the end of this section. Table 1 summarizes the principal wetland types found in the study area. Table 2 provides a cross-reference of wetland types as designated by three common wetland classification systems. r Sugar River Wetlands -- An extensive wetland complex borders the Sugar River near USH 18/151. Although floristically degraded in 1 areas through grazing, cultivation, channel modification, sedimentation and prolonged absence of fire, these wetlands retain large tracts of high quality sedge meadow and wet prairie contain- ing unusual species diversity and the presence of a high number of 1 native species. Field surveys were conducted along the Sugar River 3/4 mile north of USH 18/151 and 1/4 mile west of County View Road. Immediately east of the Military Ridge Trail the wetland community consists of high quality sedge meadow and wet prairie. Although there is some invasion by common cattail and reed canary grass, this area is dominated by meadow sedge and blue joint grass, and supports conservative native species such as arrow-leaved tear-thumb, great water dock and water parsnip This community is of natural area quality, needing only regular fire management to achieve full floristic character. West of the channelized portion. of Sugar River the floodplain supports a highly disturbed emergent wetland community. Previous attempts to drain and cultivate this area along with the effects of soil erosion and siltation have severely degraded this wetland community. Reed canary grass dominates in this section. low■