Wetlands, Marshes and Swamps

A wetland at Western Run

NPS Photo.

Wetlands are some of the most diverse and productive community types in Richmond National Battlefield Park. Marshes, swamps, and seeps create unique and sensitive habitats that require careful preservation efforts. Beaver Dam Creek, one of the park's smaller units, is an easily accessible example of a freshwater marsh. The system consists of small open channels running through a large marsh floodplain, contained on two sides by higher forested ground. The channels are home to a diverse fish and invertebrate population. The surrounding marsh supports many wetland plant species as well as amphibians and other animals that require a moist environment.

Wetland habitats may also be found at other park units including Malvern Hill, Gaines' Mill, and Cold Harbor. Acidic Seepage Swamps and Small-Stream Floodplain Forests, two uncommon wetland habitats, are protected within the park and monitored closely for disturbances. The park's wetlands support a diverse and unique community of plants and animals and provide several valuable ecosystem functions. Among these is their ability to filter sediment and pollutants from surface water runoff before it reaches associated creeks. This process is invaluable in the maintenance of water quality in the park's creeks and downstream water systems. Because of the valuable roles that wetlands play in enhancing both biological diversity and water quality, the park works to protect these important natural features by maintaining vegetative buffers around them when possible, and by avoiding activities that may alter their hydrological regime.