Deep Marsh Perennials

This tool lists various Habitat Fact Sheets developed by the Region 5 Regional Response Team. To suggest additions to this tool, please contact Barbi Lee. Click here for Inland Response Tactics Manual.

Cattail Marsh
Cattails (Typha spp.) are a prevalent emergent perennial deep marsh plant. They exist in native, nonnative, and hybrid forms.

Image Credit: Ben Kimball, New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau
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Floating Cattail Mat
Cattail beds can expand by floating and migrating to new areas. Their rhizomes extend towards open water, allowing them to float. Floating cattail mats can also be a navigational hazard.

Image Credit: Andrew Sabai, Winnebago Conservation Photography
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Broadleaf Cattail Typha latifolia
This perennial plant can be identified by its stout brown fruit as compared to narrowleaf Typha angustifolia and hybrid Typha x glauca cattail species. It tends to be out competed by the latter two species and occurs in less dense stands.

Image Credit: Russell, G.F., Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution
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Narrowleaf Cattail Typha angustifolia
This perennial plant can be distinguished from the broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia by its narrow seed head that is separated into two parts. The male flower sits 1/2-4 inches above the female flower.

Image Credit: Dr. John Hilty, Illinois Wildflowers
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Hybrid Cattail Typha x glauca
This perennial plant is a hybrid between broadleaf Typha latifolia and narrowleaf Typha angustifolia cattail species. It tends to retain the separation of male and female flowers of the narrowleaf cattail and the sturdy, thick flowers of the broadleaf cattail. This species is extremely aggressive and can rapidly displace other important emergent perennial plants.

Image Credit: WI DNR staff
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Broadleaf Arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia colony.
Arrowhead Sagittaria spp. stands are a common indicator of deep marsh habitats. The plants were cultivated extensively by American indigenous peoples for their edible tubers. They are also an important food source for beavers, muskrat, and porcupines. The seeds are consumed by several duck species.

Image Credit: Peter M. Dziuk, MinnesotaWildflowers.info
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Broadleaf Arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia with wide leaves.
Broadleaf Arrowhead leaves tend to be wide in shallow water or drier habitats.

Image Credit: Peter M. Dziuk, MinnesotaWildflowers.info
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Broadleaf Arrowhead Sagittaria latifolia with narrow leaves.
Broadleaf Arrowheads in deep water tend to exhibit narrow leaves.

Image Credit: Peter M. Dziuk, MinnesotaWildflowers.org
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Arrowhead Flower
Arrowheads typically are in bloom from mid-summer through early-fall.

Image Credit: USDA NRCS
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Giant Bur Reed Sparganium eurycarpum
This perennial plant can be found in both deep and shallow marsh habitats, typically in 1-3 feet of water. Its height ranges from 2-6 feet with narrow leaves ranging from 1-5 feet long and 1/4-3/4 inches across.

Image Credit: Dr. John Hilty
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Bur Reed Stand amidst Duckweed
Without the presence of flowers or fruit, identifying bur reeds can be a challenge.

Image Credit: Andrew Sabai
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Bur Reed Flowers and Fruit
Bur Reeds typically flower in mid-summer and bear fruit in late summer-early fall. The male flowers appear near the tip of the stalk and the female flowers form the spiky fruits.

Image Credit: Josh Sulman, UW-Madison Department of Botany
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Pickerelweed Pontederia cordata
This perennial plant is often found on the edges of lakes, streams, and wetlands that experience spring flooding. It grows to heights of 3 feet, with long heart-shaped leaves.

Image Credit: Acevedo-Rodriguez, P. Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution
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Pickerelweed Flower
The small blue-purple flowers of the pickerelweed grow on a spike 3-4 inches in length. It flowers from June to late fall and reproduces via seed or rhizomes.

Image Credit: B. Steury, Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution
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Pickerelweed Flower and Leaf
Pickerelweed is a valuable food source for a variety of fauna. Ducks and muskrats eat the fruit, while deer, geese, muskrats, snails, and carp forage the leaves, stems, and roots. The plant also provides excellent habitat for northern pike, other fish, amphibians, reptiles, insects, and aquatic mammals.

Image Credit: Niehaus, T.F., Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution
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I. Habitat Description

The deep marsh perennials habitat includes portions of lakes, ponds, marshes, or backwaters that are semi-permanently flooded and more than 10% vegetated with persistent emergent vegetation dominated by pickerelweed (Pontederia), arrowhead (Sagittaria), cattail (Typha), or bur-reed (Sparganium). Invasive species include hybrid cattail (T. latifolia), which is distinguished by its intermediate features between the parental common and narrow leaf cattails. This habitat may have incursions of submersed, nonrooted- floating aquatics, rooted-floating aquatics, or other emergent vegetation and is typically found growing in water up to 1 meter deep. During normal water conditions, there is little flow, though there can be wind-generated currents and stronger flows at inlets and outlets. During flood conditions, these habitats can be connected to rivers or streams, have strong currents, and the potential to carry large amounts of debris.

II. Sensitivity to Oil Spills

The deep marsh perennials habitat is high sensitive to oil spills. This habitat is valuable to a variety of birds, amphibian, reptile, and mammal species as well as micro and macro invertebrates, many of which are extremely sensitive to chemical exposure. During normal water levels, oil would be less likely to penetrate water-saturated soils; during floods, oil could be deposited in areas that dry out after the flood, and penetrate the loose, organic-rich surface soils. Light refined oils with high amounts of water-soluble fractions can cause acute mortality to animals and plants. Heavier oils tend to coat vegetation, which may survive if oil coats only the stems or if the roots are unaffected. It is difficult for more viscous oils to penetrate densely vegetated areas.

III. Sensitivity to Response Methods

The following text describes potential adverse impacts to this habitat resulting from various oil spill response methods and provides recommendations to reduce impact when these methods are implemented. This is not intended to preclude the use of any particular methods, but rather to aid responders in balancing the need to remove oil with the possible adverse effects of removal. More detail about the response methods themselves can be found in the Inland Response Tactics Manual.

Additional Information

Download PDF

Deep Marsh Perennials Additional Information

General Classification Handbook for Floodplain Vegetation in Large River Systems

Inland Oil Spills: Options for Minimizing Environmental Impacts for Freshwater Spill Response

NatureServe

National Wetlands Inventory

The U.S. National Vegetation Classification

Wetland Plants and Plant Communities of MN & WI, 3rd Edition

Cattail Species Information

Cattail Comparison

Least Adverse Habitat Impacts
Some Adverse Habitat Impacts
Most Adverse Habitat Impacts

Exclusion or Deflection Booming (see Inland Response Tactics Manual, p. 3)

Boom can be used to exclude or deflect the spill away from sensitive resources.
Effectiveness is increased by positioning boom at appropriate angles for the current speed.

Sorbents/Sorbent Boom (see Inland Response Tactics Manual, pg. 22)

In areas with vegetation at or above water, sorbents are most effective in water surrounding vegetation (as opposed to within/on top of vegetated areas).
Care is necessary during placement and recovery to minimize disturbance of vegetation. Work in boats to avoid driving oil into the sediment.
Pom-pom type sorbents are best for heavy viscous oils that coat the strands; sorbent boom is best for light, low-viscosity oils that can penetrate into the sorbents.
Absorbent boom must be changed frequently to prevent it from becoming a source of sheen.

Flooding (see Inland Response Tactics Manual, pg. 15)

This tactic is only applicable in areas where the water level can be controlled, such as near locks and dams or in a small pond/marsh. Contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers water control regarding lock and dam operation.
Can be used selectively to remove localized heavy oiling This tactic is useful to remove oil trapped in vegetation, which can otherwise be difficult to herd toward recovery devices in open water. However, some oil may remain stranded in vegetation and will need to be removed through other means.

Low-Pressure, Ambient-Water Flushing (see Inland Response Tactics Manual, pg. 15)

Maintain low output pressures (less than 50 psi) to avoid disrupting the substrate and vegetation.
Effectiveness increases with lighter oils because less residual oil is left in the environment.
This tactic can be used with flooding to prevent re-deposition of oil.
Use for spot removal of oil because of the limited area of effectiveness.

In-Situ Burning (see Inland Response Tactics Manual, p. 27)

Presence of a water layer on marsh surface can protect roots.
“Heavy ends” of petroleum product remain unburned and must be recovered. This residue will sink once it is cool.
The amount and placement of natural fuel in the surrounding area may present challenges to constraining the fire only to oiled areas.
Authorization of in-situ burning is subject to RRT approval, consultation and concurrence from the state and the Department of the Interior. • May be one of the least physically damaging means of moderate and heavy oil removal as it leaves plant roots intact.
May be difficult to protect riparian vegetation.

Debris/Vegetation Removal (see Inland Response Tactics Manual, pg. 26)

Most appropriate for oils that form a persistent, thick, sticky coating on the vegetation, such as medium and heavy oils.
Removal will release trapped oil and speed natural flushing rates.
Debris may be associated with nests or living areas (e.g., beaver and muskrat lodges), therefore impacts on resident animal habitat need to be considered.
If oil is trapped in floating vegetation, removal may be the only way to recover the oil in the absence of water currents.
May be appropriate to prevent secondary oiling of wildlife.
Damage by cleanup crews may be reduced by avoiding excessive cutting/removal.
Response crews entering the marsh can inadvertently trample vegetation during cleanup/removal. To reduce this impact: control and minimize access routes through the marsh; have personnel stand or kneel on boards while working; and conduct operations from boats when possible.