ABSTRACT
Most treatment marshes are designed and constructed to require infrequent operational control or maintenance. Through conservative design, and simple, low maintenance mechanical controls, wetland treatment systems will experience minimal ecological changes and will continue to meet water quality objectives for a long period of time. The keys to avoiding such water quality startup problems are an understanding of potential treatment liability and an operations plan to avoid discharges until the wetland has “settled down” to a post- startup condition. In very large marshes, the hydraulic resistance of the vegetation creates a dilemma for operations. Experience has shown that a large variety of creatures may interfere, in some way, with the desired operational conditions treatment wetlands. The wetland environment offers a wide variety of niches for various insects. Both agricultural and urban systems come with buffer zones, and these require vegetation management. Biological monitoring within a wetland treatment system provides information concerning the structural integrity of the vegetation and fauna.
