Key A-2.  Key to Major Waterbody Type

1. Waterbody is predominantly flowing water.........2

  1. Waterbody is predominantly standing water.        7

Note: Fresh waterbodies may be tidal; if so, waterbody is classified as a Tidal Lake or Tidal Pond using criteria below to separate lakes from ponds.

  1. Flow is unidirectional and waterbody is a river, stream, or similar channel.        3
  1. Flow is tidal (bidirectional) at least seasonally; waterbody is an ocean, embayment, river, stream, or lake.        4
  2. Waterbody is a polygonal feature on a U.S. Geological Survey map or a National Wetlands Inventory Map (1:24,000/1:25,000)......................................................................................River 3. Waterbody is a linear feature on such maps....................................................................Stream

Go to River/Stream Gradient Key - Key B-2 - for other modifiers

  1. Waterbody is freshwater.        5
  1. Waterbody is salt or brackish.        6
  2. Waterbody is a polygonal feature on a U.S. Geological Survey map or a National Wetlands Inventory Map (1:24,000/1:25,000)......................................................................................River 5. Waterbody is a linear feature on such maps....................................................................Stream

Go to River/Stream Gradient Key - Key B-2 - for other modifiers


  1. Part of a major ocean or its associated embayment (Marine system of

Cowardin et al. 1979) .........................................................................................................Ocean

Go to Ocean Key - Key D-2


  1. Part of an estuary where fresh water mixes with salt water (Estuarine system of

Cowardin et al. 1979).......................................................................................................Estuary

Go to Estuary Key - Key E-2


  1. Waterbody is freshwater.........8
  1. Waterbody is salt or brackish and tidal.        10
  2. Waterbody is permanently flooded and deep (>than 6.6 ft at low water), excluding small "kettle or bog ponds" (i.e., usually less than 5 acres in size and surrounded by bog vegetation)............................................................................................................................Lake

Go to Lake Key - Key C-2

8. Waterbody is shallow (< 6.6 ft at low water) or a small "kettle or bog pond" (with deeper water). ........ 9


9. Waterbody is small (< 20 acres)........................................................................................Pond


Separate natural from artificial ponds, then add other modifiers like the following. Some examples of modifiers for ponds: beaver, alligator, marsh, swamp, vernal, Prairie Pothole, Sandhill, sinkhole/karst, Grady, interdunal, farm-cropland, farm-livestock, golf, industrial, sewage/wastewater treatment, stormwater, aquaculture-catfish, aquaculture- shrimp, aquaculture-crayfish, cranberry, irrigation, aesthetic-business, acid-mine, arctic polygonal, kettle, bog, woodland, borrow pit, Carolina bay, tundra, coastal plain, tidal, and in-stream.


Note: Wetlands associated with ponds are typically either Terrene basin wetlands, such as a Cypress dome or cypress-gum pond, or Terrene pond fringe wetlands, such as semipermanently flooded wetlands along margins of pond. In-stream ponds are in the Lotic landscape position.


9.  Waterbody is large (>20 acres).........................................................................................Lake

Go to Lake Key - Key C-2


10. Part of a major ocean or its associated embayment (Marine system of Cowardin et al. 1979)

...........................................................................................................................................Ocean

Go to Ocean Key - Key D-2


10. Part of an estuary where fresh water mixes with salt water (Estuarine system of

Cowardin et al. 1979).......................................................................................................Estuary

Go to Estuary Key - Key E-2




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