Introduction
Connected lake margin wetlands occur primarily in oxbow lakes near large rivers, where they are frequently inundated during floods (that is, they are within the 1-5-year flood frequency zone). Many lakes that would have met this criterion early in this century have gradually been disconnected from river flows due to the completion of large levees and other flood-protection works, and the wetlands in those lakes are now classified as unconnected lake margins. Connected lake margins differ from unconnected systems in that they routinely exchange nutrients, sediments, and fish with the river system. In addition to natural oxbows, there are man-made bodies of water that support connected fringe wetlands. Shoreline cypress-tupelo stands and fringe marshes are common, and the upper reaches of oxbow lakes often contain buttonbush swamps and expansive marsh systems.
Connected lake margin fringe wetlands are common along the Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers, within the levee system, and on other large rivers draining the Delta and the Coastal plain. They can be observed within State Parks and Wildlife Management Areas that include riverfront and floodplain lands.
For more details on the Connected Lake Margin, click here.
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Photo by Keith Sutton |
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