| The hydrology of wetlands, particularly how wetland soils collect, store, and redistribute water strongly affects how wetland systems function. In created wetlands, construction processes and materials influence the hydrology and consequently, the potential for successful reestablishment of target vegetation communities. During 2002--2004, the Virginia Department of Transportation constructed large mitigation wetlands on two different Quaternary aged surfaces with very similar hydrogeomorphic conditions. The Sandy Bottom Nature Park site (SBNP) located in Hampton, VA and rests on the sandy loam Tabb Formation while the Charles City Wetland site (CCW) lies on the older and clay-rich Shirley Formation. This study documents and synthesizes stratigraphic and soil permeability data with biweekly and hourly hydrologic data collected from piezometer nests located in the constructed and surrounding natural wetlands at both locations in order to understand the influences of different construction practices on the hydrology of these mitigation wetlands. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
