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ENVIRONMENTAL
EPA WETLANDS PAGE
WETLANDS ARE FRAGILE ECOSYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT A DIVERSE ASSEMBLAGE OF ORGANISMS.  THIS WIDE VARIETY OF ANIMAL AND PLANT LIFE MAKE THEM AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE ENVIRONMENT.  WETLANDS ALSO ACT AS NATURE'S RECYCLING STATIONS.  THEY STORE WATER DURING FLOODS, AND PROVIDE WATER DURING DROUGHTS.  WETLAND PLANTS FILTER OUT SEDIMENTS, POLLUTANTS, AND EXCESS NUTRIENTS, THEREBY IMPROVING WATER QUALITY.

ALTHOUGH SOME WETLANDS MAY ONLY BE "WET" FOR BRIEF PERIODS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, IT IS DURING THESE CRITICAL TIMES THAT MANY ORGANISMS REPRODUCE AND USE THESE AREAS AS NURSERIES.  A GREAT AMOUNT OF NUTRIENT CYCLING TAKES PLACE WITHIN WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS.  WHEN DEAD PLANT MATERIALS BECOME SUBMERGED IN A WETLAND, THEY PROVIDE AN ENERGY SOURCE FOR MICROORGANISMS, INSECTS, AND EVEN FISH.  THIS "DETRITUS" FROM PREHISTORIC FRESHWATER SWAMPS FORMED INTO THE COAL USED TODAY FOR ENERGY.

HURRICANE BRANCH
NOTTOWAY MACROBASIN
MANY OF THE WETLANDS ON FORT PICKETT ARE FOUND ADJACENT TO ROADWAYS AT LOW WATER FORD SITES.  THESE HARDENED STREAM CROSSINGS ARE MORE EFFICIENT THAN CULVERTS AT HANDLING HIGH WATER FLOW AND DON'T WASH OUT DURING FLOODS, THUS PREVENTING UNNECESSARY EROSION AND SILTATION.

THE NOTTOWAY RIVER IS HOME TO SEVERAL THREATENED/ENDANGERED SPECIES LIKE THE ROANOKE LOGPERCH AND THE ATLANTIC PIGTOE MUSSEL.
THESE ORGANISMS ARE ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY SILTATION. FORT PICKETT IS ACTIVE IN ITS EFFORTS TO CONSTRUCT MORE CONCRETE FORD SITES AND OTHER LOW WATER CROSSINGS TO BENEFIT TRAINING AND PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT. THIS IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY PURPOSES OF THE ARMY ITAM PROGRAM.