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4.0 Wetland Inventory and Assessment °Methods <br /> This section summarizes methods utilized to-inventory and assess wefland resources within the <br /> District. The data collected include: wetland location and extent, digital photographs of each wetland, <br /> wetland classification, dominant vegetation, wetland functions, characterization of reference . <br /> wetlands, and identification of potential restoration sites within the District. This section presents the . <br /> process and information used to conduct the functional assessment of wetlands as well as a <br /> discussion on managing and storing the data. <br /> 4.1 Wetiand Classification � <br /> During 2001 and 2002, wetlands and potential wetlands greater than 0.25 acres in size within the <br /> District limits were field inspected. The study area is defined.as the furthest extent of the hydrologic <br /> or legal District boundaries. This combined area is referred to as the `District'. The area between the <br /> hydrologic boundary and the tegal boundary is referred to as `Outside of Watershed' Any <br /> discrepancies in total counfs and areas presented in the tables are due�to wetlands that cross <br /> boundaries and are located on either side of the boundary. The Hennepin.Conservation District <br /> Wetland Inventory(HCWI) maps,protected wetland maps,National Wetlands Inventory maps (U.S. <br /> Fish and Wildlife Service, 1989 and 1990), soil survey data (NRCS, 2001a; NRCS, 2001b),parcel <br /> data, and 2000 dig-ital orthoquad color aerial photographs were used as baseline information to help <br /> identify wetland areas.The presence of each wetland was verified in the field and the wetland <br /> functions were assessed using the Minnehaha Creek Routine Assessment Method for Evaluating <br /> Wetland Functions (Appendix B). � <br /> Dominant wetland types in each of the delineated wetlands were classified using the U.S. Fish and <br /> Wildlife Service Circular 39 System (Shaw and Fredine, 1959). Each wetland was also classified <br /> according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Cowardin System (Cowardin et al., 1979). <br /> 4.1.1 Dominant Vegetation <br /> The dominant plant species comprising at least twenty percent or more of the vegetation in each <br /> wetland were identified and recorded, along with rare or infrequently occurring species. For each <br /> species, the scientific name, common name, typical stratum, and regional hydrologic indicator status <br /> in accordance with The National List of Plant Species that Occur in Wetlands (Resource <br /> \\fred\wp�23�27�D06U2eports�Fina1 Report\WeUand_mgmt�lan dft011503.doc 4-1 <br />