Key C-1:  Key to Coastal Landforms


1. Wetland forms a distinct island in an inlet, river, or embayment........................Island Wetland

Go to Key D-1 for water flow path


a.  Occurs in a delta...........................................................................Delta Island Wetland

(Could identify flood delta and ebb delta islands for tidal inlets if desirable.)

a.  Occurs elsewhere either in a river or an embayment ...................................................b


b. Occurs in a river.............................................................................River Island Wetland

b. Occurs in a coastal embayment.........................................................Bay Island Wetland


  1. Wetland does not form such an island, but occurs behind barrier islands and beaches, or along the shores embayments, rivers, streams, and islands.        2
  2. Wetland occurs along the shore, contiguous with the estuarine waterbody.......Fringe Wetland

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    1. Occurs behind a barrier island or barrier beach spit..........Barrier Island Fringe Wetland or Barrier Beach Fringe Wetland [Modifier for overwash areas: Overwash]

a. Occurs elsewhere..........................................................................................................b


    1. Occurs along a coastal embayment or along an island in a bay.........Bay Fringe Wetland or Bay Island Fringe Wetland or Coastal Pond Fringe Wetland (a special type of embayment, typically with periodic connection to the ocean unless artificially connected by a bulkheaded inlet) or Coastal Pond Island Fringe Wetland

b. Occurs elsewhere..........................................................................................................c


    1. Occurs along a coastal river or along an island in a river................River Fringe Wetland or River Island Fringe Wetland

c. Occurs elsewhere.........................................................................................................d


    1. Occurs along an oceanic island...........................................Ocean Island Fringe Wetland

d. Occurs along the shores of exposed rocky mainland...............Headland Fringe Wetland


2. Wetland is separated from main body of marsh by natural or artificial means; the former may be connected by a tidal stream extending through the upland or by washover channels (e.g., estuarine intertidal swales), whereas the latter occurs in an artificial impoundment or behind a road or railroad embankment where tidal flow is at least somewhat restricted........Basin Wetland

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Modifiers may be applied to separate natural from created basins (managed fish and wildlife areas; aquaculture impoundments; salt hay diked lands; tidally restricted-road, and tidally restricted-railroad), and for other situations, as needed.


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