II.  Land Use

F. Wetlands

1.Wetland Land Use Data

In the Darby Watershed, no significant wetlands or negative impacts have been identified (ODNR, 1992).  Wetlands comprise 852 acres of all land in the Darby Watershed according to the USGS National Land Cover Dataset and roughly 2,354 acres according to the Ohio Wetland Inventory in 1987.  Many of the remaining wetlands are scattered wooded tracts and are privately owned.  However, a number of small wetlands exist along the river and tributary corridors providing excellent habitat and food for many species of birds, reptiles and mammals as well as buffering the stream from potentially harmful impacts that often result from development and agricultural practices. 

2. Wetland Reserve Program (WRP)

The USDA created the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) a voluntary program aimed at the restoration and protection of wetlands on private property (U.S. EPA, 2000).  Figure 55 lists the number of acres and new contracts in the Darby Watershed.  The U.S. EPA (2000) estimated approximately 300 acres in WRP.  This number has raised considerable in the past 6 years to 858 acres, in part, to some large wetlands in the Franklin County Metroparks, but many more acres could be included in this program through existing and constructed wetlands (NRCS, 2002).   

Source: NRCS, 2002, 2005

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Last updated: July 16, 2008.