Wetlands come in many different shapes, sizes and types. They vary in the amount of water they hold, how long they hold water and the type of vegetation they support. Not all wetland have standing water during the growing season.


All wetlands monitored in WHEP must meet three criteria:

  1. soils developed in wet conditions
  2. wet either above ground or wet within 12 inches of the surface during all or part of the growing season
  3. plants adapted to live in wet soil conditions


The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service divided wetlands into eight types (Types 1-8). The two primary characteristics used in the classification system include the wetland's dominant plant type and water depth during the growing season. Wetlands monitored in WHEP are depressional wetlands with emergent marsh vegetation (Types 3, 4, or 5). 


The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency designed and tested the WHEP sampling protocols for Type 3, 4 and 5 wetlands located in the Central Hardwood Region of the State of Minnesota.


Wetlands sampled in WHEP are chosen by the sponsoring agency (city, watershed management organization or county parks department). 


Wetlands monitored in the 2024 season are:

Apple Valley

AV-1 Hidden Valley, EVR-P53 map 2.4MB
AV-8 Chaparral Pond Map 151.9KB
AV-10 Alimagnet Park Wetland Map 91.7KB
AV-20 Valleywood Golf Course Hole 16 Wetland Map 131.7KB

Burnsville

B-1 Crystal West map 3.0MB
B-4 Alimagnet Wetland Map 3.6MB
B-17 Alimagnet Powerline Map 3.6MB
B-18 Terrace Oaks North Central 3.6MB

Dakota County Parks Team 1

DC-13 Thompson Lake (TCP) Map 153.3KB
DC-3 Tamarack Swamp (LHRP) Map 1.2MB
DC-9 Star Pond (LHRP) Map 1.8MB
DC-10 Duck Pond (LHRP) Map 2.1MB

Dakota County Parks Team 2

DC-4 Jensen Lake (LHRP) Map 1.9MB
DC-2 Buck Pond (LHRP) Map 1.9MB
DC-5 Wood Pond (LHRP) Map.pdf 1.4MB
DC-6 BB's Wetland (LHRP) Map 1.9MB

Eagan

E-18 ALTERNATE Moonshine Park Pond DP-14 map.pdf 600.4KB
E-34 McCarthy map.pdf 906.2KB
E-47 Almquist map.pdf 1.0MB

Farmington

F-3 Kral Pond map 106.6KB
F-7 Autumn Glen map 123.1KB

Hastings

H-4 Stonegate Treated map 1.0MB
H-6 Lake Rebecca map 215.7KB
H-56 180th Street Marsh map 1008.4KB
H-57 Cari Park Pond map 192.7KB
Alternate: H-30 Sand Coulee Pond map 194.1KB

Lakeville

L-7 DNR 387 map 1.1MB
L-8 DNR 393 map 2.0MB

Mendota Heights

MH-2 Copperfield map 1.5MB
MH-5 Pagel Pond map.pdf 3.3MB
MH-21 Friendly Hills Pond map ALTERNATE.pdf 69.1KB

North Cannon River Watershed Management Organization

NC-1 Loretto Map 381.5KB
NC-3 Jordan Map 292.9KB

Rosemount (R-1, R-14, R-21, R-23. Alt 1=R-26. Alt 2=R-19)

R-1 Kelly Marsh map.pdf 2.7MB
R-21_R-23_R-14_R-19 (alt) map.pdf 5.6MB
R-26 Erickson Pond map ALTERNATE 1 188.2KB

South St. Paul

SSP-1 Anderson Pond map 2.0MB
SSP-3 Levander map 2.1MB

West St. Paul

WSP-1, WSP-4, WSP-5 Map.pdf 1.9MB

WSP-1 Mud Lake

WSP-4 Weschcke Pond (aka Pond 1)

WSP-5 Lilly Lake