Plants and Soils of the Walnut Wetlands

Visitors: Use the links above to learn more about specific aspects of the Walnut Wetlands.

Elevation and the Landscape

The maps below show the elevation of land in the Walnut Wetlands area. These elevations range from 302 feet at the highest points to 207 feet at the lowest. The lowest elevations (indicated by blue colors) fall across broad flat areas, or floodplains, next to Walnut Creek and its adjoining creeks. The two-dimensional and three-dimensional relief maps below show how Walnut Creek cuts a channel through the landscape as it makes its way through the Cypress Marsh, the Northern Floodplain, and alongside the Southeast Swamp. The bottom of this creek channel sits several few feet below the surrounding landscape. During heavy rains, the channel fills, and the creek can overrun its banks and flood nearby areas. The low elevation areas (primarily associated with the wetlands) are flooded fairly regularly, probably every year. The higher areas (indicated by reds and yellows) can go decades or more without flooding. Of course, the flooding process affects the surrounding wetlands, influencing the soils and vegetation that are present there.

Two-dimensional (above) and three-dimensional (below) relief maps showing the channel of Walnut Creek as it cuts through low-elevation, periodically flooded areas.

Notice, however, that the low-elevation areas also extend into local neighborhoods such as Rochester Heights. Although these built-up areas have drainage ditches and other ways to remove water, they have been flooded during heavy storms. For example, Rochester Heights experienced extensive flooding during Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Such events can cause costly property damage. They also illustrate the problems possible when human development and wetland areas collide.

Image map showing low elevation areas extending into nearby neighborhoods, including Rochester Heights.