Projects



Wetland Science
Polaris Group provides comprehensive Wetland Science services that range from initial delineations to permitting and mitigation. Our experiance in Water Resources and surface/groundwater interactions allows us to provide excellent client services when the wetland hydrology has to be assessed.

Wetland Hydrology Assessment
Anoka County
Sod Field Wetland Determination


Project Tasks

  • Wetland Hydrology Analysis
  • Developed a scope and effect model
  • Install and monitor piezometers for model calibration
  • Analyze soils data, aerial photos and National Wetland Inventory (NWI) maps

Project Description

Anoka County contains many areas of agricultural sod production. Most are peatlands with drainage ditches that remove much of the wetland hydrology. Because the land use inhibits the establishment of wetland plants, these areas present a challenge when determining the presence or absence of jurisdictional wetlands.

To determine areas with wetland hydrology, Polaris Group performed an analysis of the drainage ditches. Scope and effect equations were applied to determine the extent that each field is drained by the adjacent ditches. An analysis of aerial photos, soil surveys, National Wetland Inventory (NWI), peat depths, as well as an intensive on-site examination of existing conditions was conducted. Piezometers were installed in areas where wetland hydrology may exist for the purpose of collecting further groundwater data to calibrate and confirm the accuracy of the model.

A report detailing the results was prepared for review by the Watershed District and Corps of Engineers. This approach uses methodologies approved by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR).

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