During the warm seasons between 2004 and 2009, fen expert David Bathke surveyed wetlands that could potentially contain fens on the Pike and San Isabel National Forests. He visited places that been identified as emergent and shrub wetlands in the National Wetland Inventory to see if any of these wetlands contained fens. The resulting surveys contained a wealth of information: fen determinations and boundaries, lists of plant species, soil measurements, and observations on hydrologic processes at each site. CNHP recently got involved when the US Forest Service requested that we use our photo-interpretation and GIS expertise to convert these data (that only existed on paper) into digital geospatial data (GIS data). This data will help the US Forest Service better understand and protect the fens on their land.
A fen complex in Pike/San Isabel National Forest. The fens are outlined in yellow, the NWI wetland is outlined in purple. |
Iron fens at Geneva Creek, note the terracing of the unvegetated surface. |