Log in
LEED v2009
Neighborhood Development
Smart location & linkages
Wetland and water body conservation

LEED CREDIT

ND-v2009 SLLp3: Wetland and water body conservation Required

LEEDuser’s viewpoint

Explore this LEED credit

Post your questions on this credit in the forum, and click on the credit language tab to review to the LEED requirements.

Credit language

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Limit development effects on wetlands, water bodies, and surrounding buffer land according to the requirements below.

Option 1. Sites with no wetlands, water bodies, land within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands, or land within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies
Locate the project on a site that includes no wetlands, no water bodies, no land within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands, and no land within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies.

OR

Option 2. Sites with wetlands, water bodies, land within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands, or land within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies
  1. Locate the project such that preproject wetlands, water bodies, land within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands, and land within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies is not affected by new development, unless the development is minor improvements or is on previously developed land.

  2. OR
  3. Earn at least 1 point under GIB Credit 8, Stormwater Management, and limit any impacts beyond minor improvements to less than the percentage of buffer land listed in Table 1.
  4. Residential density (DU/acre)*

    Residential density
    (DU/hectare)

    Nonresidential density (FAR)*

    Percentage of buffer land**
    where impacts beyond minor improvements are allowed

    > 25

    > 62

    > 1.75

    ≤ 20%

    > 18 and ≤ 25

    > 45 and ≤ 62

    > 1.25 to ≤ 1.75

    ≤ 15%

    > 10 and ≤ 18

    > 25 and ≤ 45

    > .75 to ≤ 1.25

    ≤ 10%

    ≤ 10

    >  25

    ≤ .75

    ≤ 5%

    DU = dwelling unit; FAR = floor-area ratio.

    * For this option, a mixed-use project may use either its residential or its nonresidential density to determine the percentage of allowable impacts, regardless of which is higher.

    ** For this option, buffer width may vary as long as the total buffer area is equal to the area within 50 feet (15 meters)  of wetlands and/or within 100 feet (30 meters)  of water bodies, minus excluded features (see below). The minimum buffer width, however, is 25 feet (8 meters) for wetlands and 50 feet (15 meters)  for water bodies, measured from the edge. In the minimum buffer, only minor improvements and/or improvements that result in no ecological impairment of the wetland or water body, as determined by a qualified biologist, are allowed.

See all forum discussions about this credit »

What does it cost?

Cost estimates for this credit

On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.

Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.

This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.

Learn more about The Cost of LEED v4 »

Addenda

2/2/2011Updated: 2/14/2015
Reference Guide Correction
Description of change:
Indent the following items so they appear as sub-items under "Nonbuildable land":Indent the following items so they appear as sub-items under "Nonbuildable land":Project site Nonbuildable land Stream (on-site portion) Stream buffer Wetland Wetland buffer Street rights-of-way Total nonbuildable landBuildable land
Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
No
7/1/2014Updated: 2/14/2015
Global ACP
Description of change:
Table 1.
Add a second column, "Residential density (DU/hectare)," with the following values:
> 62
> 45 and ≤ 62
> 25 and ≤ 45
> 25

Campus Applicable
No
Internationally Applicable:
Yes
See all forum discussions about this credit »

Documentation toolkit

The motherlode of cheat sheets

LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.

USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Limit development effects on wetlands, water bodies, and surrounding buffer land according to the requirements below.

Option 1. Sites with no wetlands, water bodies, land within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands, or land within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies
Locate the project on a site that includes no wetlands, no water bodies, no land within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands, and no land within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies.

OR

Option 2. Sites with wetlands, water bodies, land within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands, or land within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies
  1. Locate the project such that preproject wetlands, water bodies, land within 50 feet (15 meters) of wetlands, and land within 100 feet (30 meters) of water bodies is not affected by new development, unless the development is minor improvements or is on previously developed land.

  2. OR
  3. Earn at least 1 point under GIB Credit 8, Stormwater Management, and limit any impacts beyond minor improvements to less than the percentage of buffer land listed in Table 1.
  4. Residential density (DU/acre)*

    Residential density
    (DU/hectare)

    Nonresidential density (FAR)*

    Percentage of buffer land**
    where impacts beyond minor improvements are allowed

    > 25

    > 62

    > 1.75

    ≤ 20%

    > 18 and ≤ 25

    > 45 and ≤ 62

    > 1.25 to ≤ 1.75

    ≤ 15%

    > 10 and ≤ 18

    > 25 and ≤ 45

    > .75 to ≤ 1.25

    ≤ 10%

    ≤ 10

    >  25

    ≤ .75

    ≤ 5%

    DU = dwelling unit; FAR = floor-area ratio.

    * For this option, a mixed-use project may use either its residential or its nonresidential density to determine the percentage of allowable impacts, regardless of which is higher.

    ** For this option, buffer width may vary as long as the total buffer area is equal to the area within 50 feet (15 meters)  of wetlands and/or within 100 feet (30 meters)  of water bodies, minus excluded features (see below). The minimum buffer width, however, is 25 feet (8 meters) for wetlands and 50 feet (15 meters)  for water bodies, measured from the edge. In the minimum buffer, only minor improvements and/or improvements that result in no ecological impairment of the wetland or water body, as determined by a qualified biologist, are allowed.

See all LEEDuser forum discussions about this credit » Unsubscribe from discussions about ND-v2009 SLLp3