Cumulative Impacts Affect Wetlands


Filling Wetlands Can Lead to Flooding and Other Disasters for Homeowners


Building a home in a wetland or in hydric (clay-like) soils can come back to BITE you and possibly your developer...


... and it's illegal, without a permit, if the filling and / or building was placed in the wetland after the laws put in place to protect wetlands became effective. New York State and federal regulations are not identical so one must check with BOTH agencies before being sure that filling and/or building is not going to occur in a wetland. Check out current federal wetland permit applications on the US Army Corps Buffalo District web site by clicking here. Unfortunately, these permit applications only scratch the surface of the information that is available. A freedom of information request to the Corps or the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation is the only way to find out most of the information needed to make informed decisions.

Read the sad tale of Homes Built in Wetland Soils in Amherst, NY

Read about Homes Built in the Klydel Wetland in North Tonawanda, NY


WETLANDS HELP PREVENT FLOODING IF NOT FILLED BY DEVELOPMENT

Example of flooding in older neighborhoods surrounding the Klydel Wetland after a new subdivision was built into the heart of the wetland in the mid-1990's


This NYS Department of Environmental Conservation publication warns about the dangers of building in wetlands.



If you know someone who is thinking of building or filling in what appears to be a wetland, write us a note at the e-mail address below. We'll point them to some helpful web sites. Seasonal wetlands, i.e., the Klydel Wetland, are only wet part of the year (normally through Spring) and may not appear to be wetlands at all in the summer. They still are wetlands, though, so don't be fooled by that dry summer appearance when selecting a site to develop or fill. And don't let a bad decision come back to BITE you!


Read about the ill-advised Supreme Court decision that will cause more developers to build homes in wetland soils.

The web site (below) will produce National Wetland Inventory maps for most zip codes or communities. These maps show where some wetlands are located but NOT all wetlands. Also, the wetland may be bigger or smaller than mapped. To be certain of the size and location the actual site on the ground must be checked by both state and federal regulators. In addition, it is a good idea to review wetland permit applications for areas of interest to see what wetlands have been "written off" by regulatory agencies as so-called "isolated wetlands". These isolated wetlands are still quite capable of damaging home foundations built in them and causing flooding situations whether the government wants to protect the wetlands or not. Regulators almost always grant permits to developers to build in wetlands but developers don't have to divulge to prospective home buyers that a wetland permit was required to construct a residence in a wetland. It is totally buyer beware!!!

National Wetlands Inventory


Photos of students in the Klydel Wetland.

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