WETLAND / UPLAND COMPLEX

Areas mapped as Wetland/Upland complex support wetlands mixed with uplands, but at a scale too fine to delineate. Wetlands make up at least 30% of the area. These areas are mapped to give an indication that, although many sites are upland, wetlands also occupy a significant portion of the surroundings. Different types are named based on the percentage of area occupied by wetland. For example, WU60 indicates that about 60% of the polygon's area is covered by wetlands. The most common wetland type occurring in wetland/Upland Complex polygons are Discharge Slope wetlands. These wetlands often occur over a mineral soil and are forested with paper birch and sometimes white spruce. They can be difficult to identify, especially later in the growing season when the seasonally high water table is at its lowest. A large forested area near the headwaters of Wasilla Creek is mapped as WU, although use of this map unit is minimized.