Florida wetlands map codes
NWI uses the Cowardin classification system to describe wetland and deepwater habitat. Learn how to read common codes, then keep the map result separate from field boundaries, jurisdiction and permits.
Common map codes
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service gives PFO1A as an example: Palustrine (P), Forested (FO), Broad-leaved Deciduous (1), Temporarily Flooded (A). The complete code can contain additional modifiers.
| Code | Mapped habitat | Plain-English screening meaning | Buyer next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| PFO | Palustrine Forested | Freshwater wetland dominated by woody vegetation tall enough to be classified as forested. | Open the polygon description and assess whether it overlaps the proposed project footprint. |
| PSS | Palustrine Scrub-Shrub | Freshwater wetland dominated by woody vegetation in the scrub/shrub class. | Treat the polygon as a wetland-screening flag; verify the actual field boundary when it can affect the deal. |
| PEM | Palustrine Emergent | Freshwater emergent wetland such as marsh, wet meadow, fen or swale categories shown in the NWI legend. | Check water regime and the full code, not only the three-letter prefix. |
| PUB / PAB | Palustrine Unconsolidated Bottom / Aquatic Bed | Freshwater pond or aquatic-bed habitat in the public NWI display grouping. | Review the full feature and nearby drainage/wetland context before planning access or fill. |
| R | Riverine | River or stream channel and associated riverine habitat. | Check crossing, buffer, drainage and permitting implications for the complete project. |
| E / M | Estuarine / Marine | Tidal or marine systems associated with coastal/brackish/saltwater habitat. | Coastal parcels often need broader flood, wetland and agency review than the NWI classification alone. |
How to read a longer code
A code can add subsystem, class, subclass, water regime and special modifiers. The exact valid combinations are maintained by NWI, so Landeia does not invent a simplified decoder for every possible code.
Primary sources
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service · United States
Decode National Wetlands Inventory Cowardin map codes and understand system, class, subclass and water-regime components.
Important: A classification code describes mapped habitat; it does not establish a regulatory wetland boundary, jurisdiction or buildability conclusion.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service · United States
Query National Wetlands Inventory polygons and wetland codes for web-based screening applications.
Important: NWI is a screening dataset updated with the Wetlands Mapper and does not establish a regulatory boundary or jurisdiction.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection · Florida
Official process for a legally binding determination of the landward extent of wetlands and other surface waters while the determination is valid.
Important: A formal determination is a separate agency process; a web map, desktop screen or consultant sketch is not the determination itself.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service · United States
Mapped wetland and deepwater screening data.
Important: Mapped data does not establish regulatory jurisdiction or a parcel-specific wetland boundary.
Questions
PFO means Palustrine Forested. Additional letters or numbers describe more detail, such as subclass and water regime. The full code should be decoded using the current U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service classification resources.
PEM means Palustrine Emergent, commonly used for freshwater emergent wetland habitats. The rest of the code describes additional characteristics such as subclass or water regime.
No. NWI is a biological habitat mapping system. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service states that its wetland mapping does not establish regulatory jurisdiction, and Florida boundary questions may require field and agency-level work.
Use the code in context
