What is a wetland?

Wetlands are places where there is shallow water or soggy soil at least part of the time. The water has to be just shallow enough, or the soil just soggy enough, for wetland plants to take hold. Ponds, lakes, rivers and streams are not wetlands, because the water is too deep, but there are often wetlands along the edges of those water bodies.

Some examples of wetlands are bogs, swamps, marshes, and intermittent streams. Another type of wetland is a “bordering vegetated wetland”, which shares a border with a stream, pond, or lake. Wetlands can, however, be found far from deep water.