Many years ago, wetlands were more commonly referred to as swamps, which to some, reflected a negative view of this valuable natural resource.  Swamps were to be filled in or considered a place to dump things.  These lands impacted by water were considered useless and a waste of real estate.  That misconception has been corrected within the past several decades as we have realized that these swamps served a far greater purpose than we thought.

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Wetlands have one common denominator which is hydrology (water).  Whether it comes from drainage off sloping lands, flows from streams, or from underground water sources, wetlands are the depository for water.  Wetlands come in many forms such as bogs, swamps, wet meadows, vernal ponds, marshes, fens (Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, was built on a filled in fen before anyone understood it’s significance), and tidal (wetlands along coastal areas affected by ocean tides). Topography, geology, and climate are additional factors in a wetland ecosystem.  Water flows downward and via the easiest course.  Low lying lands are subject to flooding and many wetlands have formed in such areas.

The hydrology also influences the soils that are found in wetlands where the soil properties become hydric and support plants that require wet conditions, thus out competing plants that cannot tolerate wet sites.  These hydric soils and plants then support microbes, insects and animals that also require wet conditions to survive.  This wetland ecosystem then attracts outside species of insects and animals that may forage for food and shelter.  Wetlands are a significant wildlife resource.

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Because many of these wetlands are within low lying areas and contain thick, mucky soils with many hydric plant species, the water that enters these wetlands is detained and slows where the microbes and plants absorb nutrients, captures sediments, and basically acts like a giant filter system.  Wetlands clean water.  They remove toxins.  The wetlands contain and mitigate stormwater flows which reduces flooding in surrounding areas.  The water that exits the wetland either filters down into the underground aquifers or flows into streams and rivers that can eventually drain into reservoirs, lakes, ponds or the ocean.  The water that you consume from your well, community well, or a municipal reservoir may have been purified by that swamp down the road that people used to take for wasted space.

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The value of environmental service that wetlands provide are in the millions if not billions of dollars.  In 1989, the Town of Patterson recognized this value as well as the aesthetic values wetlands provide, and enacted Patterson Town code 154-18:  The Town Wetland law.  Any wetland one half acre or larger, any stream, pond, lake or river, and any vernal pond is regulated by the Town, where a permit is required for any disturbance within 100 feet of these areas.  This law is designed to protect a natural resource that protects us, along with all the plants and animals that rely on wetlands.  Also, please be aware that New York State also regulates wetland over 12.4 acres, and the US Army Corps of Engineers regulate federally regulated wetlands.  Permits may also be required by these agencies as well.

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The largest wetland in Patterson is known as the Great Swamp and it traverses Dover, Wingdale, Pawling, Patterson, and Southeast.  It is the second largest wetland in New York State and home to a number of rare and endangered plants and animals.  It filters water for part of the New York City water supply.  It is designated as a Critical Environmental Area by New York State.  The many streams and associated wetlands that drain into the Great Swamp contribute to water quality, stormwater mitigation, and wildlife resources.  Those same wetlands help filter the water for many of our wells.

Putnam Lake is the focal point within the community of Putnam Lake in our Town.  The aesthetic value of the lake increases the value of the homes that surround it.  The lake provides numerous recreational opportunities such as fishing, swimming, kayaking and canoeing, ice fishing, and ice skating.  The lake is loved by our residents, but it is impacted by runoff, phosphorus from various human activities, development, and natural succession.  Many wetlands that once surrounded the lake were altered or filled in as development pressures increased.  It is critical to protect and conserve the remaining wetlands in the Putnam Lake area for the very reasons outlined above.

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Vernal Ponds are relatively small low topographical spots within wooded areas that fill with runoff or rainwater during the fall and winter, then dry up by late summer.  They are special amphibian breeding zones because their eggs are not preyed upon by fish because fish cannot survive in vernal ponds.  The salamanders and wood frogs that breed in vernal ponds only use this wetland for breeding and spend most of their time in the surrounding woods within 400 feet or so from the pond.  From a wildlife perspective, vernal ponds are extremely important to protect.

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The water bodies such as streams and ponds within our town mostly drain downstream from one property through another.  What one person does on his property may affect the property of the person downstream.  The wetland law is designed to try to make sure possible negative effects downstream are eliminated when human activities occur.  An example would be replacing a culvert that has a stream flowing through it from one side of a road to another.  If the activity occurs at the wrong time or is done improperly, the effects can be disastrous downstream with flooding, muddy water, sedimentation, and erosion of stream banks.  A permit would require timing the work at seasonal low flows (August), proper diversion of water flow (such as temporary pipe), and proper erosion controls.

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If you have wetland on your property, please respect it and consider it as an asset.  You can help it by removing invasive plants such as bittersweet vines, Japanese barberry, privets, multiflora rose, autumn olive and burning bush shrubs as they outcompete native plants and disrupt the ecosystem.  For more information about wetlands please simply google the subject on your computer.  To learn more about the Great Swamp please go to the FROGS (Friends of the Great Swamp) website: https://frogs-ny.org. You can also go to two free websites to learn more about your property.  The Web Soil Survey (https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/) will provide information about the soils found on your land and the Hudson Valley Natural Resource Mapper (https://gisservices.dec.ny.gov/gis/hvnrm) will provide all sorts of environmental information as well.  You can review the Town wetland law online by simply typing Patterson, NY code 154-18 on your computer. You can always contact Town Hall for any wetland permit information you may require.