vvEPA
             United States
             Environmental Protection
             Agency
             Environmental Monitoring
             Systems Laboratory
             P.O. Box 93478
             Las Vegas NV 89193-3478
EPA/600/4-89/048A
December 1989
             Research and Development
Proximity of Georgia
Sanitary Landfills
to Wetlands and
Deep water Habitats
             Statewide Results

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                                                      600/4-89/048A
                                                   December 1989
PROXIMITY OF GEORGIA SANITARY LANDFILLS TO WETLANDS AND
                   DEEPWATER HABITATS
                   Statewide Results
                           by

          John E. Moerlins and Roy C. Herndon
  Center for Biomedical and Toxicological Research and
               Hazardous Waste Management
                Florida State University
            Tallahassee, Florida  32306-4016

                    Victor W. Lambou
      Environmental Monitoring Systems  Laboratory
          U.S.  Environmental Protection Agency
              Las Vegas, Nevada 89193-3478

                           and

                    Robin L.  Gebhard
              National  Wetlands Inventory
             U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
             St. Petersburg,  Florida  33702
      ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SYSTEMS LABORATORY
           OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
          U.S.  ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
                LAS VEGAS, NEVADA 89114

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                           NOTICE
The information  in  this document has been  funded  wholly or
in part  by the  U.S.  Environmental Protection  Agency  under
Grant No. CR-815139010  to  the Florida State University.   It
has been subject to  the  Agency's  peer  and administrative
review and  it has been  approved for publication as an  EPA
document.   Mention of trade  names  or  commercial  products
does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.
                            ii

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                          ABSTRACT
     Sanitary  landfills  can  cause  considerable  harm  to
sensitive  ecosystems  if  they  are  not  properly  located,
designed,  and  managed.   The purpose of  this report  is  to
summarize  the  proximity of sanitary landfills in  the state
of Georgia to wetlands and deepwater habitats (i.e., rivers,
lakes,  streams,  bays,  etc.);  a  companion  report  presents
data  on  individual landfills.    The  source of data  used  to
determine  the  locations of  the  sanitary landfills  was  the
computer  data  file  developed  by  Development Planning  and
Research Associates,  Inc.  for  use  by the U.S. Environmental
Protection  Agency's  Office of  Solid  Waste in  its  RCRA
Subtitle D program.   The sanitary landfills were identified
on  U.S.  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service's  National  Wetlands
Inventory maps.   The nearness  or proximity  of the sanitary
landfills to wetlands  and  deepwater  habitats was determined
by  drawing  three  concentric  regions   around   the  point
representing the  location of  each  landfill.  The  radii  of
the concentric regions were: 1/4 mile,  1/2 mile,  and 1 mile.
All sanitary landfills in the  state of  Georgia  are located
in or  close  to wetlands while one-third  are  in  or close  to
deepwater habitats.   These  facilities have  the potential  to
adversely affect sensitive  ecosystems, such  as wetlands  and
deepwater  habitats,  either  through  habitat  alterations  or
through   the   migration   of  contaminants   from   sanitary
landfills.
                            iii

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                       CONTENTS
                                                       Pacre

Abstract	iii
Figures	v
Tables	vi
     Introduction	1
   -  Conclusions	1
     Materials and Methods	2
     Results and Discussion	5
Literature Cited	7
                            iv

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                       FIGURES
Number                                                  Page

1    Hypothetical sanitary landfill showing the point
        (latitude  and  longitude  coordinates)  that
        represents the  location  of the  landfill,  the
        concentric  regions  used  to  determine  the
        nearness   or   proximity   of  the   sanitary
        landfill to  wetlands  and deepwater habitats,
        and  the  boundary  of an  100-acre  sanitary
        landfill  distributed  approximately  evenly
        around   its   point   location   (a   100-acre
        landfill uniformly distributed around a point
        will  have  a  radius  of  approximately  1/4
        mile).                                              8

2    Proximity  of 24 Georgia sanitary  landfills  to
        wetlands.                                          9

3    Distance of 24 Georgia sanitary landfills to the
        closest wetland.                                  10

4    Proximity  of 24 Georgia sanitary  landfills  to
        deepwater habitats-                                11

5    Distance of 24 Georgia sanitary landfills to the
        closest deepwater habitat.                         12

6    Proximity  of 24 Georgia sanitary  landfills  to
        either  the   closest   wetland  or  deepwater
        habitat.                                          13

7    Distance  of 24  Georgia  sanitary   landfills  to
        either  the   closest   wetland  or  deepwater
        habitat.                                          14

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                        TABLES
Number                                                  Page

1    Definition of wetlands used by the U.S. Fish and
        Wildlife Service                                  15

2    Definition  of deepwater  habitats  used by  the
        U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service                    17

3    Definitions  of  the  five  major systems  used by
        the  U.S.   Fish  and  Wildlife   Service   in
        classifying wetlands and deepwater habitats       18

4    Number  and  percentage of sanitary  landfills in
        Georgia that are proximate to wetlands            23

5    Number  and  percentage of sanitary  landfills in
        Georgia  that   are   proximate   to  deepwater
        habitats                                          24

6    Number  and  percentage of sanitary  landfills in
        Georgia that are proximate to either wetlands
        or deepwater habitats                             25
                           vi

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                        INTRODUCTION

     Sanitary  landfills,   as  typically  defined,  are  waste
management  facilities  regulated under  Subtitle D  of  the
Resource  Conservation  and  Recovery  Act  (RCRA).     These
facilities  are  commonly  referred  to   as  municipal  waste
landfills and  they are primarily used to  receive household
refuse and nonhazardous commercial waste.  However,  sanitary
landfills also receive other types of Subtitle D waste, such
as sewage sludge  and industrial wastes.   Sanitary landfills
typically  receive  some  hazardous  waste  in  the  form  of
household hazardous  waste, and hazardous  waste  from  small
quantity  generators  as  defined  in  40  CFR  Part  261.10
(Definitions) .  Depending upon  the definition  of a  sanitary
landfill used  by  the  individual states, there  are  between
6,500 and 9,300 of these  facilities permitted  in the United
States  (U.S. EPA,  1987).

     Sanitary  landfills  can   cause  considerable  harm  to
sensitive  ecosystems  if  they   are not properly  located,
designed, and  managed.   These facilities have  the potential
to adversely affect sensitive  ecosystems, such  as  wetlands
and  deepwater  habitats,  either  through  habitat  alterations
or  through  the  migration  of   contaminants  from  sanitary
landfills.   In order to  evaluate  the  seriousness  of this
problem, information is needed  on  the nearness  of  sanitary
landfills to wetlands and surface water bodies.  The purpose
of  this study is to  document the  proximity of  sanitary
landfills in the  state  of Georgia to wetlands  and deepwater
habitats  (i.e.,  rivers,   lakes,   streams,  bays, etc.).   This
report gives statewide  summary  results;  a  companion report,
"Proximity  of  Georgia  Sanitary  Landfills  to  Wetlands  and
Deepwater Habitats,  Data  on Individual Landfills,"  presents
data on the  individual landfills.
                           CONCLUSIONS


1.   All  sanitary  landfills  in  the  state  of Georgia  are
     located in or  are close to wetlands while one-third are
     in or close to deepwater habitats.

2.   These facilities have the potential to adversely affect
     sensitive  ecosystems,  such  as  wetlands  and deepwater
     habitats, either through habitat alterations or through
     the migration  of contaminants from sanitary landfills.

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                    MATERIALS AND METHODS
     The source  of data used to  determine  the locations of
the sanitary  landfills  was  the  computer data file developed
by Development Planning and Research Associates, Inc.  (DPRA)
for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office
of Solid Waste  in  its RCRA Subtitle D program  (DPRA, 1986).
The DPRA  data  file  includes  information on  7,683 sanitary
landfills,  and  6,849 of these  facilities have latitude and
longitude  coordinates  in  degrees,  minutes,  and  seconds
specified in the data file.  Each set of coordinates defines
a  point  which  represents  the  geographic  location  of  a
sanitary landfill  (Figure 1) .   In addition,  the  data file
contains the  names of the landfills and data on the cities
or  counties  in which  the  landfills  reside.    Individual
states  are  responsible for  permitting ' sanitary  landfills
under  Subtitle  D   of  RCRA  and,  since DPRA  obtained  the
information  for  the data file  from state sources,  the site
location information varies  in terms  of   accuracy  and the
point chosen to represent the location  of  each facility.

     Four  types of errors  or  omissions were identified in
the DPRA  data  file.    These  errors and omissions include:
missing latitude  and  longitude,  missing state  code,  wrong
state code, and erroneous latitude/longitude.  The first two
items  relate to  data  that were omitted  in  the  facility
record.  Facilities that did not have latitude and longitude
coordinates  were  not  used in  this study  while facilities
that did not  have  a state code were assigned an appropriate
state   code   by   comparing   the   latitude  and  longitude
coordinates  for the  facilities  with maps of  the  various
states.   The last two items relate  to errors  in  the data
file.   Facilities  with the wrong  state  code were corrected
and  included  in  the  study.    The  last   item relates  to
erroneous   latitude  and/or   longitude  records.     Where
discovered,  the erroneous coordinate(s) were corrected,  if
possible.    Errors may  still  exist in  the DPRA  data file;
however,  it  is   believed  that  the  overall  results  and
conclusions   contained   in   this   report   will   not   be
significantly  affected,  since  the  number  of  errors  is
probably small.

     Wetlands typically form part of a continuous transition
zone  between  uplands  and  open  water.     Therefore,  the
delineation of the upper and lower boundaries in any wetland
definition  is somewhat  arbitrary.   There  are a  number of
definitions of  wetlands that have been  developed for use in
classifying natural environments or for regulatory purposes.
While  these  definitions  are  not  identical,  they  are very
similar.  The selection of  a  specific definition for use in

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this  study  was determined  by the  availability  of national
wetlands and deepwater habitats geographic data.

     The most  extensive, consistent  source  of  wetlands and
deepwater  habitats  geographic data  is the  U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service's National Wetlands  Inventory  (NWI).   The
NWI   has   developed   detailed,   large-scale  maps   for  a
significant portion  of the  United States.   To date,  wetland
maps have been developed for approximately 40 percent of the
contiguous  48  states/   10  percent  of Alaska,   and   all  of
Hawaii.  Large-scale NWI maps typically are either 1:24,000
scale  or  1:63,360  scale U.S. Geological  Survey quadrangle
maps;  however,  most  are  1:24,000  scale.    Wetlands  and
deepwater  habitats  are  delineated  on the  NWI  maps.   The
delineation of wetlands  and deepwater  habitats was developed
using  remote sensing  techniques and  field investigations.
The NWI maps are developed in accordance  with  the National
Map  Accuracy  Standard  (NMAS)  (U.S.  GS,  1979).   The NWI
1:24,000  scale  maps  used  in   this   study  are  accurate,
according  to   the  NMAS,  to  within  40  feet  of  ground
measurements.    These   maps   are particularly  useful  for
plotting  the   location  of   sanitary  landfills  and  for
determining  the proximity  of these  facilities  to wetlands
and deepwater habitats.

     The NWI maps  use the definitions  (contained in Tables I
and 2) and the  classification system  (contained in Table 3)
for wetlands  and  deepwater  habitats  developed by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife  Service (Cowardin  et al., 1979).  Wetlands
are defined  as  lands transitional  between  terrestrial and
aquatic systems where the water  table is usually at  or near
the  surface,  or  the  land  is   covered by shallow  water.
Deepwater habitats  are  defined as permanently flooded lands
lying  below  the deepwater  boundary of wetlands.  For more
expansive definitions and an explanation of the definitions,
as well  as  the  boundary limits, see  Tables  1 and  2; for
further details  see Cowardin  et  al.  (1979).  The U.S. Fish
and  Wildlife   Service's  classification  of  wetlands  and
deepwater habitats is hierarchical in  nature proceeding from
general to  specific  (Cowardin et al., 1979).   There  are  5
systems,  10  subsystems,  and 55 classes.  In this study only
the  "system",  i.e,  the  complex  of wetlands and deepwater
habitats that  share  the influence  of  similar  hydrologic,
geomorphologic,  chemical, or  biological factors, was used
for classification purposes.   The definitions as well as the
boundary  limits   of   the   five   systems,   i.e.,   Marine,
Estuarine,  Riverine,  Lacustrine,  and  Palustrine,  are given
in Table 3;  for  further details   see Cowardin et al.   (1979).
The first  four systems,  i.e., Marine, Estuarine,  Riverine,
and Lacustrine, include  both wetlands  and deepwater habitats
whereas the Palustrine System  includes  only wetlands.

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     In order  to  link the location of sanitary landfills in
the DPRA  data  file to the appropriate NWI maps,  we used the
information on the T-70 computer tape obtained from the U.S.
Geological Survey  (National Cartographic Information Center,
1987) .  The  NWI  large-scale maps  were  developed using U.S.
Geological Survey's  quadrangle maps  as  base maps.  The T-70
computer  tape  contains  67  fields of  information including
latitude  and longitude that  can  be used for identifying the
1:24,000  scale maps,  the map  names,   and  the  state  codes
assigned  to  the  maps.   Sanitary  landfill  location  data on
the DPRA   computer  file  tape were  matched  by   a  computer
program against location data on the US Geological Survey T-
70 computer tape in  order to identify the specific maps that
contain sanitary  landfills and/or that would be  needed to
evaluate  the wetlands  and deepwater habitats that are within
1 mile  of each sanitary landfill.   Sanitary landfills that
were located on the  edge  or  in  the corner of a map required
more than one  map (i.e., two to  four maps)  to complete the
interpretation.  The  map  names  obtained  from the  computer
matching  were  sorted by state and compared with  inventories
of available NWI maps.

     Each  sanitary  landfill included   in   this  study  was
located on NWI large-scale maps  using standard cartographic
techniques.  Nearness  or  proximity of sanitary landfills to
wetlands  and deepwater  habitats  was determined  by  drawing
three concentric  regions around the  point  representing the
location  of  each  landfill.   The radii  of  the  concentric
regions were:  1/4 mile,  1/2  mile,  and 1 mile  (Figure 1)  .
The occurrence or  nonoccurrence of the wetland and deepwater
habitat systems in each concentric region was then recorded.

     Many  sanitary landfills  are typically  of the  order of
100 acres in  size.    For example,  in the  state  of  Florida
about  35   percent  of  the  active  sanitary landfills  are
between 50 and  150  acres  in size,  with the average size
being   110   acres   (Florida  Department   of  Environmental
Regulation, 1987).   A  landfill that is 100 acres in size and
uniformly  distributed about its  latitude/longitude  point
designation  will  have a radius  of  approximately 1/4 mile
and, therefore,  will  approximate the boundary of the first
concentric 1/4-mile  radius region  (Figure 1) .  Undoubtedly,
most of the landfills located  in a  1/4-mile radius region
containing either wetlands or deepwater  habitats should be
considered to  be  located in  wetlands or deepwater habitats.
Since landfills vary considerably  in size and shape,  some of
the landfills  located in the  1/2-mile  radius   and 1-mile
radius  regions  containing  wetlands  or  deepwater  habitats
will  probably  also  be located  in  wetlands or  deepwater
habitats.   The exact geographic  boundary of the landfill is
not  the  critical   consideration  for  determining  adverse
impacts associated with these facilities, since contaminants

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can  migrate  off-site  to  affect  wetlands  and  deepwater
habitats.
                   RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
     We  obtained  data  on  the  proximity  of 24  sanitary
landfills in  the  state of Georgia to wetlands and deepwater
habitats.  There are 198  sanitary landfills  in the DPRA data
file for  the  state of Georgia  and  24  (12 percent)  of these
facilities have NWI  maps  available  for site interpretation.
As a result,  174  (88 percent) of the 198  sanitary landfills
in the state  of Georgia are not included  in  this study.

     Approximately 83  percent of  the sanitary landfills are
located in or within 1/4  mile of wetlands, while 100 and 100
percent are located in or within 1/2 and  1 mile of wetlands,
respectively  (Table  4  and Figure  2).  None  of the landfills
are located more than a mile  from any type of wetland.  Most
sanitary  landfills are  located either  in  or are  close  to
Palustrine and Riverine  wetlands  (approximately  79,  92,  and
100 percent are  located  in or  within  1/4,  1/2,  and 1 mile,
respectively,  of  a Palustrine wetland,  while 42  percent are
located in  or within  1  mile of a Riverine  wetland) .   Very
few sanitary  landfills are located more than 1/4 mile from a
wetland (Figure 3) .   Only 17 percent are located 1/4 to 1/2
mile, while none are located  further than  1/2 mile, from the
closest wetland.

     None of the sanitary landfills are located in or within
1/4 mile  of deepwater  habitats, while 17 and 33 percent are
located in  or within 1/2 and 1 mile of deepwater habitats,
respectively  (Table  5  and Figure 4).   Sixteen (67 percent)
of the landfills  are  located more than a mile from any type
of  deepwater  habitat.    Most  of  the  facilities that  are
located in  or that are  close to deepwater  habitats  are  in
the  vicinity  of  Riverine or Lacustrine  deepwater habitats
(i.e.,   13 percent  are located in  or  within 1  mile of  a
Riverine  deepwater habitat and  25 percent are located in or
within  1  mile   of   an  Lacustrine   deepwater   habitat).
Approximately  67  percent  of  the   sanitary  landfills  are
located more  than  1  mile from the closest deepwater habitat
(Figure 5) ,  while 17  and 17 percent  are located 1/2  to  1
mile and  1/4 to  1/2  mile,   respectively, from  the  closest
deepwater habitat.

     Approximately 83  percent of  the sanitary landfills are
located   in  or  within   1/4  mile  of  either  wetlands  or
deepwater  habitats,  while  100 percent   are located in  or
within  1/2  mile  of  either  wetlands or  deepwater  habitats
(Table 6  and  Figure  6) .  None  of the landfills  are located

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more than a mile from either wetlands or deepwater habitats.
Most of the  sanitary landfills are located either in or are
close to  Palustrine, Lacustrine,  or  Riverine  habitats (all
are located  in or within  1/2  mile of a  Palustrine habitat
while approximately 25  and 50  percent  are  located  in  or
within  1  mile  of  a  Lacustrine   or   Riverine  habitat,
respectively).   Only 17 percent of  the  sanitary landfills
are located  more  than  1/4  mile  from either  a  wetland  or
deepwater habitat  (Figure 7).

     All of the sanitary landfills included in this study in
the state  of Georgia are located  either in  or are close  to
wetlands.  From this, we conclude that these facilities have
the potential to adversely affect sensitive ecosystems, such
as wetlands,  either through habitat  alterations  or through
the migration  of contaminants from sanitary landfills.   In
addition,  one-third of the  sanitary landfills  included  in
this study in  the  state  of Georgia are  located either in  or
close to deepwater habitats and they also have the potential
for adversely affecting these  sensitive ecosystems.

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                      LITERATURE CITED

Cowardin,  L.M.,  V.  Carter,  F.C.  Golet,   and E.T.  LaRoe.
     1979.     Classification  of   wetlands   and   deepwater
     habitats of the United States.  FWS/OBS-79/31.   103 pp.

Development  Planning and  Research Associates, Inc.   1986.
     U.S. Environmental  Protection Agency  list of municipal
     waste   landfills.       Computer   data   file,    U.S.
     Environmental Protection Agency.

Florida Department of Environmental Regulation.   1987.   CMS
     25 data file.   Computer data file,  Florida  Department
     of Environmental Regulation.

Langbein, W.B.  and K.T.  Iseri.   1960.  General introduction
     and  hydrologic  definitions  manual of  hydrology.   Part
     I.   General  surface-water techniques.   US Geol.  Surv.
     Water-Supply Paper  1541-A.  29 pp.

National  Cartographic  Information  Center.    1987.    T-70
     computer  tape.   Computer  data  file,  National Mapping
     Division,  U.S. Geological Survey.

U.S. EPA.   1987.    Resource  Conservation and Recovery Act
     Subtitle D report to  Congress.  Final Draft Report, May
     28,  1987.

U.S. GS.    1979.   Maps  for America,  First Edition.   U.S.
     Geological Survey.

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        Point Representing
        Location of the
        Landfill
Hypothetical
Landfill
Boundaries
                    S88R88  Lacustrine Deepwater Habitat
                                          (lake)

                  Palustrine Wetland
                       (marsh)
Rgure 1.  Hypothetical sanitary landfill showing the point (latitude and longitude coor-
          dinates) that represents the location of the landfill, the concentric regions used
          to determine the nearness or proximity of the sanitary landfill to wetlands and
          deepwater habitats, and the boundary of a 100-acre sanitary landfill distrib-
          uted approximately evenly around its point location (a 100-acre sanitary land-
          fill uniformly distriubted around a point will have a radius of approximately
          1/4 mile).
                                        8

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 Palustrine
 Lacustrine
   Riverine
  Estuarine  0
            0
    Marine
All systems
                                                                            100
                                   92
                                                              79
                           In or within 1 mile


                           In or within 1/2 mile


                           In or within 1/4 mile

                                        100
                                        100
                       20
40
      60

Percent
80
100
            Figure 2. Proximity of 24 Georgia sanitary landfills to wetlands -

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        mile
 1/2 to 1 mile
1/4 to 1/2 mile
        mile
                                                   60           80           100
                                           Percent
      Figure 3. Distance of 24 Georgia sanitary landfills to the closest wetland-

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Lacustrine
  Riverine
0 _


Estuarine

,

Marine

EU In or within 1 mile
0
Q G3 In or within 1/2 mile
0 _
• In or within 1/4 ile
0
0
0
All systems ffl&WMffl 17

0
I'I'I'I'I'I
0 20 40 60 80 100
Percent
  Figure 4. Proximity of 24 Georgia sanitary landfills to deepwater habitats.

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        mile
 1/2 to 1 mile
1/4 to 1/2 mile
    £1/4 mile
            0           20           40           60           80           100



                                          Percent
  Figure 5. Distance of 24 Georgia sanitary landfills to the closest deepwater habitat.

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U)
                 Palustrine
                 Lacustrine
                   Riverine
                  Estuarine   0
                            0
                    Marine
                All systems
                                                                                           100
                                      20
                   In or within 1 mile


                   In or within 1/2 mile

                   In or within 1/4 mile
40
60
                                                           Percent
80
100
      Figure 6. Proximity of 24 Georgia sanitary landfills to either the closest wetland or deepwater habitat.

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             mile
       1/2 to 1 mile
      1/4 to 1/2 mile
          £1/4 mile
                                                       60           80           100
                                              Percent
Figure 7. Distance of 24 Georgia sanitary landfills to either the closest wetland or deepwater habitat.

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  TABLE 1.  DEFINITION OF WETLANDS USED BY THE U.S. FISH AND
        WILDLIFE SERVICE FROM COWARDIN ET AL.  (1979)
Definition:
Explanation:
               Wetlands   are   lands   transitional  between
               terrestrial  and  aquatic  systems  where  the
               water table is usually  at  or  near the surface
               or the land is covered  by  shallow water.  For
               purposes of this  classification wetlands must
               have  one  or  more  of  the  following  three
               attributes:  (1)   at least  periodically,  the
               land  supports  predominantly hydrophytes;  (2)
               the   substrate   is  predominantly  undrained
               hydric soil; and  (3) the substrate  is nonsoil
               and  is  saturated with  water or  covered by
               shallow water at  some time  during the growing
               season of each year.
               The term  wetland includes a variety of areas
               that  fall into  one of  five  categories:   (1)
               areas with hydrophytes and  hydric soils, such
               as  those  commonly  known  as marshes, swamps,
               and bogs;  (2)  areas  without  hydrophytes but
               with  hydric soils-for  example,  flats  where
               drastic  fluctuation  in  water  level,  wave
               action, turbidity,  or high concentration of
               salts may prevent the growth of hydrophytes;
               (3)  areas  with  hydrophytes  but   nonhydric
               soils,  such as   margins  of  impoundments  or
               excavations  where  hydrophytes  have  become
               established  but  hydric   soils  have  not  yet
               developed;  (4)  areas without  soils but with
               hydrophytes   such  as   the  seaweed-covered
               portion  of  rocky  shores;  and  (5)  wetlands
               without soil and  without  hydrophytes, such as
               gravel  beaches   or  rocky  shores  without
               vegetation.
                            15

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                     TABLE  1.  (continued)
Limits:
                The  upland limit of wetland is designated  as
                (1)    the   boundary   between   land    with
                predominantly  hydrophytic cover and  land  with
                predominantly  mesophytic or xerophytic  cover;
                (2)   the  boundary  between   soil   that   is
                predominantly   hydric   and  soil   that   is
                predominantly  nonhydric;  or  (3)  in the  case
                of wetlands without vegetation  or  soil, the
                boundary  between  land  that  is  flooded  or
                saturated at  some  time each year  and  land
                that is  not.   The  boundary  between wetland
                and   deepwater  habitat  in   the  Marine  and
                Estuarine   systems   coincides   with   the
                elevation of the extreme low water of  spring
                tide;    permanently   flooded    areas   are
                considered  deepwater   habitats   in  these
                systems.    The boundary between  wetland and
                deepwater   habitat    in    the     Riverine,
                Lacustrine,  and Palustrine  systems  lies  at  a
                depth of  2 m (6.6 feet)  below low  water;
                however,  if emergents,  shrubs,  or trees  grow
                beyond  this   depth  at  any   time,  their
                deepwater edge is the boundary.
                            16

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 TABLE 2. DEFINITION OF DEEPWATER HABITATS USED BY THE U.S.
    FISH  AND WILDLIFE  SERVICE FROM COWARDIN ET AL.  (1979)
Definition:
               Deepwater  Habitats  are permanently  flooded
               lands  lying  below the  deepwater boundary of
               wetlands.      Deepwater   habitats   include
               environments where surface water is permanent
               and  often  deep,  so  that water,  rather than
               air, is the principal medium within which the
               dominant organisms live, whether or not they
               are  attached   to the   substrate.     As  in
               wetlands,    the    dominant    plants    are
               hydrophytes;  however,   the   substrates  are
               considered nonsoil because  the  water  is too
               deep to support emergent vegetation.

Explanation:
               Wetlands and  Deepwater Habitats  are  defined
               separately  because  traditionally  the  term
               wetland  has  not included   deep  permanent
               water; however,  both must be considered in an
               ecological approach to classification.

Limits:
               The  boundary  between  wetland  and  deepwater
               habitat  in  the  Marine  and  Estuarine  systems
               coincides with  the elevation  of the  extreme
               low water of spring tide; permanently flooded
               areas  are  considered  deepwater  habitats  in
               these  systems.   The  boundary between wetland
               and  deepwater   habitat  in   the  Riverine,
               Lacustrine,  and  Palustrine  systems  lies at a
               depth  of 2  m  (6.6  feet)   below low  water;
               however, if emergents,  shrubs,  or trees grow
               beyond   this   depth   at  any   time,   their
               deepwater edge is the boundary.
                            17

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  TABLE 3. DEFINITIONS  OF  THE  FIVE MAJOR SYSTEMS   (MARINE,
 ESTUARINE, RIVERINE, LACUSTRINE, AND PALUSTRINE*  ) USED BY
 THE U.S. FISH AND  WILDLIFE  SERVICE  IN CLASSIFYING WETLANDS
     AND DEEPWATER  HABITATS  FROM COWARDIN ET AL.  (1979)
Marine:
   Definition:
   Limits:
               The  Marine System consists of the open ocean
               overlying   the  continental  shelf  and  its
               associated  high-energy  coastline.    Marine
               habitats   are  exposed  to   the  waves  and
               currents  of  the  open ocean  and the  water
               regimes  are determined primarily  by the ebb
               and  flow of oceanic  tides.  Salinities exceed
               30 °/00  with  little  or  no  dilution  except
               outside  the  mouths   of  estuaries.   Shallow
               coastal    indentations   or   bays   without
               appreciable  freshwater  inflow,   and  coasts
               with exposed rocky  islands  that provide the
               mainland with little or  no shelter  from wind
               and  waves,  are  also  considered part  of the
               Marine  System  because they  support typical
               marine biota.
               The Marine  System  extends  from the outer edge
               of the continental shelf shoreward to one of
               three  lines:  (1)  the landward limit of tidal
               inundation   (extreme high water  of  spring
               tides),   including  the   splash   zone  from
               breaking  waves;   (2)  the.  seaward  limit  of
               wetland emergents,  trees,  or  shrubs;  or  (3)
               the  seaward  limit of the Estuarine  System,
               where  this  limit   is  determined  by  factors
               other  than  vegetation.
     The  term system  refers to  a complex  of  wetlands and
     deepwater habitats that shares the  influence of similar
     hydrologic,  geomorphologic,  chemical,  or  biological
     factors.
* *
     The   first   four  systems,  i.e.,  Marine,  Estuarine,
     Riverine,  and  Lacustrine,  include  both wetland  and
     deepwater   habitats  whereas   the  Palustrine  System
     includes only wetland habitats.
                            18

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                    TABLE 3.  (continued) .
Estuarine:

   Definition:
               The  Estuarine System  consists  of deepwater
               tidal  habitats and  adjacent  tidal  wetlands
               that  are  usually  semienclosed  by  land but
               have  open,  partly  obstructed,  or  sporadic
               access to  the open ocean,  and in which  ocean
               water  is  at  least  occasionally  diluted by
               freshwater   runoff  from  the   land.     The
               salinity may  be periodically increased  above
               that of the open ocean by evaporation.   Along
               some    low-energy    coastlines    there   is
               appreciable dilution of  sea water.  Offshore
               areas  with   typical  estuarine  plants  and
               animals,  such as  red mangroves  (Rhizophora
               mangle)  and   eastern   oysters  (Crassostrea
               virginica),   are    also    included  in   the
               Estuarine  System.

   Limits:
               The Estuarine System extends  (1) upstream and
               landward to where  ocean-derived  salts measure
               less  than 0.5 °/00  during  the  period  of
               average annual low flow;  (2)  to an imaginary
               line  closing  the   mouth  of a  river,  bay, or
               sound;  and   (3)    to  the  seaward  limit  of
               wetland  emergents,  shrubs,   or  trees   where
               they are not  included  in (2) .  The Estuarine
               System  also   includes   off-shore   areas  of
               continuously  diluted sea water.
                            19

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                     TABLE  3.  (continued)
Riverine:

   Definition:
   Limits:
               The  Riverine  System  includes  all wetlands  and
               deepwater   habitats   contained   within    a
               channel,  with  two  exceptions:  (1)  wetlands
               dominated   by   trees,   shrubs,   persistent
               emergents,  emergent  mosses,  or lichens,  and
                (2)  habitats  with  water  containing  ocean-
               derived salts  in   excess  of  0.5 °/00.     A
               channel is "an open conduit either naturally
               or artificially created which periodically or
               continuously  contains  moving water,  or which
               forms  a connecting link between two bodies of
               standing water"  (Langbein and Iseri, 1960).
               The   Riverine  System  is   bounded  on  the
               landward  side by  upland,  by the channel bank
                (including  natural and man-made  levees),  or
               by   wetland  dominated   by  trees,  shrubs,
               persistent   emergents,  emergent  mosses,  or
               lichens.   In braided  streams,  the system is
               bounded by the banks forming the outer limits
               of  the depression within which the braiding
               occurs.   The Riverine System  terminates  at
               the  downstream end where  the concentration of
               ocean-derived salts  in the water exceeds 0.5
               °/00 during  the period of annual average low
               flow,  or  where the channel  enters a lake.  It
               terminates    at   the   upstream   end   where
               tributary streams  originate,   or   where  the
               channel leaves a  lake.   Springs discharging
               into a channel  are considered part  of the
               Riverine  System.
                            20

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                    TABLE 3.  (continued)
Lacustrine:

   Definition;
   Limits:
               The  Lacustrine  System includes  wetlands and
               deepwater habitats  with  all  of the following
               characteristics:    (1)     situated    in   a
               topographic  depression  or  a  dammed   river
               channel;    (2)    lacking    trees,    shrubs,
               persistent  emergents,   emergent  mosses  or
               lichens with greater than 30% areal coverage;
               and  (3)  total area exceeds  8  ha (20 acres) .
               Similar   wetland   and   deepwater   habitats
               totaling less than  8  ha  are  also included in
               the  Lacustrine  System  if  an  active   wave-
               formed or bedrock  shoreline  feature makes up
               all  or part of  the boundary, or if the  water
               depth  in  the  deepest  part  of  the   basin
               exceeds  2   m  (6.6  feet)  at   low  water.
               Lacustrine waters  may be  tidal  or nontidal,
               but  ocean-derived  salinity  is  always  less
               than 0.5 °/00.
               The Lacustrine System is bounded by upland or
               by  wetland  dominated  by   trees,   shrubs,
               persistent  emergents,  emergent  mosses,  or
               lichens.     Lacustrine  systems   formed  by
               damming  a  river channel  are  bounded  by  a
               contour  approximating  the  normal  spillway
               elevation  or normal  pool elevation,  except
               where Palustrine  wetlands  extend lakeward of
               the boundary.   Where a river  enters  a  lake,
               the  extension  of  the  Lacustrine  shoreline
               forms the Riverine-Lacustrine boundary.
                            21

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                    TABLE  3.  (continued)
Palustrine:

   Definition:
               The  Palustrine System  includes all nontidal
               wetlands    dominated   by   trees,    shrubs,
               persistent   emergents,   emergent  mosses   or
               lichens,  and all  such wetlands that occur  in
               tidal  areas  where  salinity  due  to   ocean-
               derived  salts  is below  0.5 °/00.    It  also
               includes  wetlands  lacking  such vegetation,
               but   with   all   of   the   following   four
               characteristics:  (1)  area less than 8  ha  (20
               acres);   (2)  active  wave-formed  or  bedrock
               shoreline  features lacking;  (3)  water  depth
               in the deepest  part  of  basin less than 2 m  at
               low  water;  and  (4)  salinity  due  to  ocean-
               derived salts  less than 0.5  °/00.

   Limits:
               The  Palustrine System  is  bounded by  uplands
               or by any  of the  other  four  systems.
                            22

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   TABLE  4.  NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE  OF  SANITARY  LANDFILLS  IN
          GEORGIA THAT ARE PROXIMATE TO WETLANDS*
                Number and percentage of sanitary landfills
                  Located in
                   or within
                   1/4 mile
Located in
or within
 1/2 mile
Located in
or within
  1 mile
Wetland system
All systems**
Marine
Estuarine
Riverine
Lacustrine
Palustrine
No.
20
0
0
4
0
19
%
83.3
0.0
0.0
16.7
0.0
79.2
No.
24
0
0
6
0
22
%
100.0
0.0
0.0
25.0
0.0
91.7
No.
24
0
2
10
0
24
%
100.0
0.0
8.3
41.7
0.0
100.0
     There are  198  sanitary  landfills  in  the DPRA data file
     for the state of Georgia and 24 (12.1 percent) of these
     facilities   have   NWI   maps   available   for   site
     interpretation.  As a result, 174 (87.9 percent)  of the
     198 sanitary landfills  in  the  state  of Georgia are not
     included in this study.
**
     None  of the  24  sanitary  landfills  included in  this
     study in the  state of Georgia are  located  more  than a
     mile from any type of wetland.
                            23

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   TABLE  5.  NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE  OF SANITARY  LANDFILLS  IN
      GEORGIA THAT ARE PROXIMATE TO DEEPWATER  HABITATS*
                Number and percentage of sanitary landfills
                  Located in
                   or within
                   1/4 mile
                            Located in
                             or within
                             1/2 mile
Located in
 or within
  1 mile
Deepwater
habitat system
All systems**
No.
0
% No. %
0.0 4 16.7
No.
8
%
33.3
Marine
Estuarine
Riverine
Lacustrine
0
0
0
0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0.0
0
0
2
2
0.0
0.0
8.3
8.3
0
0
3
6
0.0
0.0
12.5
25.0
**
There are 198  sanitary  landfills  in the DPRA data file
for the state of Georgia and 24 (12.1 percent) of these
facilities   have   NWI   maps   available   for   site
interpretation.  As a result, 174 (87.9 percent) of the
93 sanitary  landfills  in the state  of  Georgia  are not
included in this study.

Sixteen  (66.7  percent)  of the  24   sanitary  landfills
included  in  this  study in  the state  of  Georgia  are
located more than  a  mile from  any type  of  deepwater
habitat.
                            24

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   TABLE  6.  NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF  SANITARY LANDFILLS  IN
 GEORGIA THAT ARE PROXIMATE TO EITHER WETLANDS OR DEEPWATER
                          HABITATS*
                Number and percentage of sanitary landfills
                  Located in
                   or within
                   1/4 mile
Located in
 or within
 1/2 mile
Located in
 or  within
  1 mile
System
All systems**
Marine
Estuarine
Riverine
Lacustrine
Palustrine***
No.
20
0
0
4
0
19
%
83.3
0.0
0.0
16.7
0.0
79.2
No.
24
0
0
8
2
22
%
100.0
0.0
0.0
33.3
8.3
91.7
No.
24
0
2
12
6
24
%
100.0
0.0
8.3
50.0
25.0
100.0
     There are  198  sanitary  landfills  in the DPRA data file
     for the state of Georgia and 24 (12.1 percent) of these
     facilities   have   NWI   maps   available   for   site
     interpretation.  As a result, 174 (87.9 percent) of the
     198 sanitary landfills  in  the  state of Georgia are not
     included in this study.

     None  of the  24  sanitary  landfills  included  in  this
     study in the  state of Georgia are  located  more than a
     mile from any type of wetland or deepwater habitat.

***  The Palustrine system includes only wetlands.
                           25

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