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Colorado Wetland Field Guides and App

*New Pocket Guide 2020 Second Edition available
Is it true that sedges have edges and rushes are round? Need help figuring out one willow from another? Or ever wondered about the names of all those beautiful wildflowers growing along mountain streams? CNHP has developed a series of digital and printed field guides to wetland plants that will answer these questions and more. The field guides have been made possible through Wetlands Program Development Grants from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8, and in-kind match from Colorado Parks and Wildlife Wetland Program, Colorado Department of Transportation, The Nature Conservancy, and Colorado State University.

CNHP Wetland Field Guide App Screenshot
CNHP Wetland Field Guide App Screenshot

Colorado Wetlands Mobile App

The Colorado Natural Heritage Program is pleased to offer the Colorado Wetlands Mobile App! The App is available for FREE at Google Play (for Android devices) or the App Store (for iPhones/iPads).

The Colorado Wetland Mobile App contains three main sections:

  • Wetland Plants: Detailed descriptions and photos of 711 plant species found in Colorado's wetland and riparian areas. The plants are searchable through many different search criteria and filters.
  • Wetland Maps: Access to digital National Wetland Inventory (NWI) maps. The App shows NWI maps for the entire state of Colorado and can use location information from the device to show mapped wetland where the user is located. The Maps screen can also be used to search for wetland plants potentially found at the user's location.
  • Wetland Types: Brief description of the most common wetland and riparian types found in Colorado. Wetland types can also be used as a filter for searching plant species.

For more information, see the user's manual

Pocket Guide Ed2
Common Wetland Plants of Colorado's Southern Rocky Mountains: A Pocket Guide Second Edition

Common Wetland Plants of Colorado's Southern Rocky Mountains

New in 2020, the Common Wetland Plants of Colorado’s Southern Rocky Mountains: A Pocket Guide is a complimentary publication to the comprehensive Field Guide to Colorado’s Wetland Plants. The Pocket Guide highlights common wetland plants, both native and non-native located within the Southern Rocky Mountains. It builds upon CNHP’s ongoing effort to provide wetland professionals and the general public with essential tools to identify and assess Colorado’s wetland resource.

Hard copies of the Pocket Guide are available for free from CNHP or we can ship them with a $15.00 shipping and handling charge. You can also download the pdf!

Wetland Field Guide Cover
Wetland Field Guide Cover

Field Guide to Colorado’s Wetland Plants

The Field Guide to Colorado’s Wetland Plants: Identification, Ecology, and Conservation helps professionals and amateurs alike identify most plant species found in Colorado’s wetlands. The Guide is an easy-to-use resource that includes detailed descriptions and photos of over 600 wetland plant species, plus information on their wetland indicator status, conservation status, rarity, distribution, and ecology. The Guide not only assists with identifying wetland plants, but helps users apply that knowledge towards proactive conservation and protection of one of Colorado’s most valuable resources. View a sample page.

Purchase the field guide online at the CSU Bookstore. You can also download the pdfs! (zip)

Download the updated index and errata. (zip)

Common Wetland Plants of Colorado's Eastern Plains: A Pocket Guide Second Edition
Common Wetland Plants of Colorado's Eastern Plains: A Pocket Guide Second Edition

Common Wetland Plants of Colorado's Eastern Plains Second Edition

The Common Wetland Plants of Colorado’s Eastern Plains: A Pocket Guide is a complimentary publication to the comprehensive Field Guide to Colorado’s Wetland Plants. The Pocket Guide highlights common wetland plants, both native and non-native located within the Eastern Plains. It is designed to help landowners and other wetland managers correctly identify common wetland plants, manage for preferred species, and identify noxious ones. The Pocket Guide contains 148 species with 6 key characteristics (with bolded highlights of diagnostic characters), similar species, habitat and ecology comments, and management comments.

Hard copies of the Pocket Guide are available for free from CNHP or we can ship them with a $15.00 shipping and handling charge. You can also download the pdf!

Common Wetland Plants of Colorado's Southern Rocky Mountains: A Pocket Guide
Common Wetland Plants of Colorado's Southern Rocky Mountains: A Pocket Guide

Common Wetland Plants of Colorado's Southern Rocky Mountains

New in 2018, the Common Wetland Plants of Colorado’s Southern Rocky Mountains: A Pocket Guide is a complimentary publication to the comprehensive Field Guide to Colorado’s Wetland Plants. The Pocket Guide highlights common wetland plants, both native and non-native located within the Southern Rocky Mountains. It builds upon CNHP’s ongoing effort to provide wetland professionals and the general public with essential tools to identify and assess Colorado’s wetland resource.

Hard copies of the Pocket Guide are available for free from CNHP or we can ship them with a $15.00 shipping and handling charge. You can also download the pdf!

Common Wetland Plants of Colorado's Western Slope: A Pocket Guide
Common Wetland Plants of Colorado's Western Slope: A Pocket Guide

Common Wetland Plants of Colorado's Western Slope

New in 2018, the Common Wetland Plants of Colorado's Western Slope: A Pocket Guide is a complimentary publication to the comprehensive Field Guide to Colorado’s Wetland Plants. The Pocket Guide highlights common wetland plants, both native and non-native located within the Western Slope. It builds upon CNHP’s ongoing effort to provide wetland professionals and the general public with essential tools to identify and assess Colorado’s wetland resource.

Hard copies of the Pocket Guide are available for free from CNHP or we can ship them with a $15.00 shipping and handling charge. You can also download the pdf!

For information, contact Tom Baldvins.

Wetland Library

Wetland Reports
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Field Guides and App
Field Manuals
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Related Topics

Wetland Types Overview
Wetland Ecological Systems
Natural Plant Communities
Watershed Toolbox

Web Projects

  • CODEX - Colorado’s Conservation Data Explorer
  • Rare Plant Guide Online
  • Colorado Wetland Info Center
  • COMaP - Colorado Protected Lands
  • Colorado Bat Working Group
  • STReaMS - Endangered Fishes Database
  • Colorado Native Plant Database Data Portal

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  • About CWIC
    ▼
    • What Are Wetlands?
    • Why Are Wetlands Important?
    • Colorado Wetland Plan
    • Wetland Partners
  • Wetland Types
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Ecological Systems
    • Natural Plant Communities
    • Field Guides and App
    • Fen Mapping
  • Wetland Condition
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Ecological Condition
    • Habitat Quality
    • Biodiversity Significance
    • Colorado Wetland Assessment Projects
    • National Wetland Condition Assessment
    • BLM Assessment Inventory and Monitoring
  • Working in Wetlands
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Conservation
    • Restoration
    • Regulation
    • Best Management Practices
    • Funding and Technical Support
  • Data & Tools
    ▼
    • Wetlands Mapper
    • Floristic Quality Calculator
    • Landscape Summaries
    • Watershed Toolbox
    • Wetland Plots Database
  • Library
    ▼
    • Wetland Reports
    • Potential Conservation Areas
    • County Survey Reports
    • Field Guides and App
    • Field Manuals
    • Educational Resources
  • CNHP Home
  • About CWIC
    ▼
    • What Are Wetlands?
    • Why Are Wetlands Important?
    • Colorado Wetland Plan
    • Wetland Partners
  • Wetland Types
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Ecological Systems
    • Natural Plant Communities
    • Field Guides and App
    • Fen Mapping
  • Wetland Condition
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Ecological Condition
    • Habitat Quality
    • Biodiversity Significance
    • Colorado Wetland Assessment Projects
    • National Wetland Condition Assessment
    • BLM Assessment Inventory and Monitoring
  • Working in Wetlands
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Conservation
    • Restoration
    • Regulation
    • Best Management Practices
    • Funding and Technical Support
  • Data & Tools
    ▼
    • Wetlands Mapper
    • Floristic Quality Calculator
    • Landscape Summaries
    • Watershed Toolbox
    • Wetland Plots Database
  • Library
    ▼
    • Wetland Reports
    • Potential Conservation Areas
    • County Survey Reports
    • Field Guides and App
    • Field Manuals
    • Educational Resources
  • CNHP Home
  • About CWIC
    ▼
    • What Are Wetlands?
    • Why Are Wetlands Important?
    • Colorado Wetland Plan
    • Wetland Partners
  • Wetland Types
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Ecological Systems
    • Natural Plant Communities
    • Field Guides and App
    • Fen Mapping
  • Wetland Condition
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Ecological Condition
    • Habitat Quality
    • Biodiversity Significance
    • Colorado Wetland Assessment Projects
    • National Wetland Condition Assessment
    • BLM Assessment Inventory and Monitoring
  • Working in Wetlands
    ▼
    • Overview
    • Conservation
    • Restoration
    • Regulation
    • Best Management Practices
    • Funding and Technical Support
  • Data & Tools
    ▼
    • Wetlands Mapper
    • Floristic Quality Calculator
    • Landscape Summaries
    • Watershed Toolbox
    • Wetland Plots Database
  • Library
    ▼
    • Wetland Reports
    • Potential Conservation Areas
    • County Survey Reports
    • Field Guides and App
    • Field Manuals
    • Educational Resources
  • CNHP Home