This document describes a study that used GIS data and analysis to identify potential wetland sites in Tioga County, Pennsylvania. The study analyzed soil, slope, distance from streams, and vegetation data to generate wetland likelihood scores for areas. Overlaying the results with existing wetland inventory data found that the study successfully identified wetland areas. Further field investigation is needed to verify if high scoring areas meet the requirements to be classified as wetlands. The goal is to update the National Wetland Inventory for Tioga County.

2. INTRODUCTION:
 Determine if GIS can be used to successfully
identify potential wetland mitigation sites in
Tioga County.
 Provide potential solution to update National
Wetland Inventory in Tioga County,
Pennsylvania by accurately identifying highly
likely wetland areas.

3. INTRODUCTION:
 Wetlands act as filters
(excess nutrients, sediment, and chemicals)
 Wetlands provide flood protection
(hold large amounts of water and release it slowly)
 Wetlands provide habitat and breeding ground to a
wide variety of organisms
 Migratory birds rely on wetlands to provide natural
protective cover and food
 Home to many endangered and threatened species

4. INTRODUCTION:
 Section 404 of the Clean Water Act program to
regulate the discharge of dredged or fill material
into waters of the United States, including
wetlands.

5. BACKGROUND:
Pennsylvania uses the Federal Regulatory
Definition for wetland permitting as follows:
Those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or
ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to
support, and that under normal conditions do support, a
prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in
saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include
swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas.
(US Army Corps of Engineers)

6. BACKGROUND:
Hydric Soil
Soil that develops certain characteristics from being
saturated for several weeks.
Hydrophytic Vegetation
Vegetation that thrives in wetland conditions
Hydrology
Water either from ground or surface sources

7. PURPOSE:
 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s
National Wetland Inventory
 Data was collected in the 1980’s using remote
sensing data from the 1970’s
 Method used to collect data utilized high-altitude
aerial photos and was then supplemented by
field investigations
 Because of Federal Regulations at the time,
Agricultural Land was not included in the Wetland
Inventory.

8. PURPOSE:
 In the last 20 years, since the Inventory data was
mapped, Tioga County has undergone a lot of growth
and change.
(new highways, and development that change hydrologic flow)
 Much of the Agricultural land not included in the
Inventory has now been developed anyway.
 Natural changes over time
 Natural gas development permitting
 Updating is recommended in order to continue to
provide regulated protection to sensitive wetland
areas. (flood protection, water quality, and habitat)

9. DATA & ANALYSIS:
Data: HAP (High Alleghany Plateau) –
Aquatic Hydric Soils (Natural Lands Trust, 2010)
Data Reclassified as:
 25 – Hydric
 0 – Non-Hydric.

11. DATA & ANALYSIS:
To calculate Hydrology two
sets of data were used:
 Percent Slope
 Distance from Streams

12. DATA & ANALYSIS:
Data: National Elevation Dataset for
Pennsylvania (U.S. Geological Survey (USGS),
EROS Data Center, 1999)
 Surface Analysis-Slope was used to
calculate Percent Slope
 Data Reclassified into 5 classifications as
follows:
0%-5% slope = 25
6%-15% slope = 20
16%-25% slope = 15
26%-50% slope = 10
51%-145% slope =5

14. DATA & ANALYSIS:
Data: PAMAP - Hydrography (PAMAP Program, PA
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of
Topographic and Geologic Survey, 2007)
 3,000 foot buffer distance from streams
 Spatial Analysis – Distance – Straight Line
 Distance from streams data was reclassified and
given scores as follows:
0 – 200 feet = 25
201 – 500 feet = 20
501 – 1,000 feet = 15
1,001 – 1,500 feet = 10
1,501 – 3,000 feet =5

16. DATA & ANALYSIS:
Data: HAP (High Alleghany Plateau) - Terrestrial
Natural Vegetation (Natural Lands Trust)
 Data Reclassified into 5 categories
 Given a score from 0-25 as follows:
Barren/Highly Developed/Urban =5
Light Developed/Lawn/Cropland =10
Forest (mixed, conifer, deciduous) /Pasture =15
Vegetation (scrub/shrub/grassland) =20
Classified Wetland Vegetation =25

18. DATA & ANALYSIS:

19. RESULTS:
Calculation:
Soil + Percent Slope + Distance From Streams + Vegetation
Result:
Score of 20 - 100
GCS North American 1983
Data Acquired From:
Pennsylvania Spatial Data Access,
US Census Bureau, Natural Lands
Trust, PAMAP Program, PA
Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources, Bureau of
Topographic and Geologic
Survey, and U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS), EROS Data Center

20. RESULTS:
Reclassified:
20 – 55
60 – 80
85 - 100

24.  Overlaying the results of this study with the
already classified NWI wetland data indicates
that the data used and the methods were
successful in finding wetland areas in Tioga
County
 Further Investigation is required to determine
if other potential sites indicated in this study
meet the requirements to be classified as
wetlands.

25. • Gray, Ayesha, Robert P. Brooks, Denice Heller Wardrop, and
Jennifer K. Perot. "Student Manual for Pennsylvania's Adopt-a-
Wetland Program." Penn State Department of Geography.
Penn State Cooperative Wetland Center, n.d. Web. 6 Apr 2011.
<http://old.geog.psu.edu/wetlands/manual/toc.html#top>.
• "Tioga County." Tioga County, Pennsylvania. Tioga County
Courthouse, n.d. Web. 6 Apr 2011.
<http://www.tiogacountypa.us/Pages/default.aspx>.
• "Wetland Regulation Center." Wetlands.com. US Army Corps
of Engineers, 2005. Web. 6 Apr 2011.
<http://www.wetlands.com>.
• W., Ralph. Wetland Indicators: A Guide to Wetland
Identification, Delineation, Classification, and Mapping. Boca
Raton: CRC, 1999. Print.