Wetlands are places where land and water meet which may be inundated or saturated by water for a few weeks of the year to shallow water year round. Vermont's wetlands are defined as those areas of the state that are inundated by surface or ground water with a frequency sufficient to support plants and animals that depend on saturated soil conditions for growth and reproduction. Wetlands often occur in association with lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams, creating transitional areas between dry land and open water. However, wetlands can also be isolated from any obvious connection to water when they occur where the topography collects surface water, or where ground water surfaces.
Floodplain forests are unique, seasonally flooded communities that occur along our larger rivers and lakes. The wide, fairly level terrain of these forests provides a temporary storage place for floodwaters. The water dissipates energy as it spreads across the floodplain landscape, losing power and preventing damage downstream. The roots of large, flood-tolerant trees like silver maples and elms stabilize the soil, reducing erosion along the banks. Most of Vermont's floodplain forests have been converted to agricultural use, and intact examples of this wetland type are now uncommon.
As you search for this cache, observe the unique beauty of this type of wetland. It is often undervalued as just an area that floods, yet it is a unique part of our Vermont landscape and has its own important role to play.