The biological communities associated with standing water ecosystems are important for a variety of ecological reasons. This two session symposium is designed to provide information on the resource values of these lentic wetland communities, how these communities are being classified/inventoried/monitored/assessed, how they function, and what work is ongoing in these areas. Presentations are offered by personnel from various agencies, universities and other groups working in the intermountain and prairie pothole areas of the US. Attendees of this symposium can get a better understanding of what lentic communities are and how to address them in planning for responsible management of landscapes containing these communities.