A wetland is an area where the water table is at, near, or above the land surface long enough during the year to support the growth of water-dependent plants.
Wetlands form along the edges of streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, estuaries, sounds, bays and the ocean. Common types of wetlands include ponds, marshes, swamps and bogs.

Marshes support grasses, swamps have water-loving trees, and in bogs, only plants that can grow in soils with no oxygen survive. Some wetlands are permanently covered or saturated with water, others are only wet for part of the year.

Wetlands help regulate water flow, providing flood control. They act as giant sponges, soaking up water when it rains, and slowly releasing it into the ground or surface water throughout the year. They also serve as nurseries for both freshwater and marine fish and shellfish, as well as providing habitat for birds and mammals. Photo courtesy of Wayne Whaley

Check This Out!

NC Division of Coastal Management - About Wetlands
http://dcm2.enr.state.nc.us/wetlands/brochure.htm
This gives a great overview of wetlands are and why they are important (just in case you forgot)!

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Wetlands Online Mapper
http://wetlandsfws.er.usgs.gov/wtlnds/launch.html
Just click on the map and zoom in to where you'd like to see wetlands data. If you zoom in far enough, you can also see shaded relief.

NC OneMap
http://www.nconemap.com/
Just click on the NC OneMap logo to launch the program. Once launched, on the left side under the "Query" subheading, click on the mailbox icon. This allows you to type in your address. Enter your address and click the "Find Address" button. A box will come up with X and Y coordinates. Click where it says "GoTo" to zoom in to your address on the map. On the right side of the page are all of the layers you can turn on and off. NC OneMap can show you everything from river basins to elevation, landcover to weather. It's a FANTASTIC resource, and a great place to start learning about your ecological address!

For More Resources

NC Division of Soil and Water Conservation
http://www.enr.state.nc.us/DSWC/pages/wetlandsinventory.html
Distributes US Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory maps for North Carolina. Each map, based on the US Geological Survey quadrangle, shows wetlands, such as rivers, streams, ponds, marshes, estuaries, bogs and swamps.