Workshop W Wetlands … Identification, Determination, Assessment Tools, Permitting & Resources Tuesday, March 21, 2017 3:30 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
Biographical Information Michael See, Ohio EPA, Division of Surface Water 4675 Homer Ohio Lane, Groveport, Ohio 43125 (614) 836-8820 Michael.See@epa.ohio.gov Michael See is an Environmental Specialist and Wetland Ecologist within the Division of Surface Water at Ohio EPA. Michael has been an environmental professional and Wetlands Specialist for over eight years. He specializes in wetland habitat assessments, species composition, wetland restoration, wetland permitting, and regulations. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Science from The Ohio State University. Aishah Jones, Project Manager Environmental Quality Management, Inc. 1800 Carillon Boulevard, Cincinnati, Ohio 45240 513-742-7228 ajones@eqm.com Ms. Jones is an Environmental Scientist with 15 years of experience in a broad range of environmental compliance and natural resources management programs. Aishah has served as a technical resource for numerous DoD installations including more than seven years as an onsite Senior Environmental Protection Specialist at U.S. Army installations. She enhanced and supported mission activities by providing regulatory compliance oversight in the areas of drinking water, wastewater, wetlands 404 and 401 permitting, stormwater, solid and hazardous waste management, and ISO 14001. She has provided water quality and wetlands management support to the Alabama Department of Transportation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Army, and various multinational corporations within the consumer and forest products industries including P&G, Stericycle, International Paper and Weyerhaeuser. Aishah holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Forest Science from Alabama A & M University and a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Science, from Tuskegee University, where she conducted research examining the functional success of constructed wetlands using amphibians as ecological indicators. Hope Manning, Project Manager, Multi-Media Compliance Team Leader Environmental Quality Management, Inc. 1800 Carillon Blvd., Cincinnati, Ohio 45240 (513) 742-7238 hmanning@eqm.com Hope joined EQM in August 2015 with over 13 years of technical and compliance management experience in the environmental field. She has been involved in a broad range of programs including air compliance and permitting, NESHAP Boiler GACT compliance, NPDES permitting and compliance, SPCC, and SWPP Plans generation, and EPCRA SARA Title III, Section 312 and 313 reporting. Prior to EQM, Hope was the Corporate Environmental Compliance Manager at Darling Ingredients, Inc., and was responsible for environmental compliance to federal, state, and local requirements for over 50 locations in over 15 states. These activities included assisting in minor and major permitting, regulatory compliance, regulatory interpretation, regulatory reporting, permit compliance and internal auditing. Prior to her time at Darling Ingredients, Inc., Hope was the Water Quality Specialist for The Seminole Tribe of Florida. She was responsible for the water quality program for all surface waters on the Seminole Tribe of Florida reservation lands. Because the Seminole Tribe of Florida is a federally recognized Indian Tribe, she dealt directly with USEPA Region 4 personnel on behalf of the Seminole program. Hope holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Cincinnati.
WETLANDS…IDENTIFICATION, DETERMINATION, ASSESSMENT TOOLS, PERMITTING & RESOURCES Bes Best Practices In Identifying and Charact Practices In Identifying and Characterizing rizing We Wetlands Delineating Boundaries Delineating Boundaries Ecological Assessment T Ecological Assessment Tools ols Permitting & rmitting & Mitigation Mitigation
Best Practices for Identifying and Characterizing Wetlands Michael See Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water
Best Practices for Identifying and Characterizing Wetlands Aishah Jones EQM Environmental Scientist ‐ Water Practice
Best Practices for Identifying and Characterizing Wetlands Hope Manning EQM Engineer ‐ Multi‐Media Compliance
THINKING OF BUILDING OR EXPANDING… DO YOU NEED A WETLAND PERMIT? 1. What are wetlands? Identifying wetlands 2. Wetland indicators 3. Why should I consider whether an AOC (Area of Concern) is a wetland? 4. Why are wetlands important? (ultimately because they’re regulated!) 5. How are wetlands regulated?
THINKING OF BUILDING OR EXPANDING… DO YOU NEED A WETLAND PERMIT? 6. Where does the wetland start/stop? 7. Who decides if an AOC is a wetland? 8. What activities require a wetland permit and what kind of permit do I need? 9. Discussion: Wetland Categories, Assessment, and Mitigation 10.Where can I find more information or resources?
WHAT IS A WETLAND? ORC 6111.02 Definition: "W "Wetlands" etlands" means those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration that are sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. "Wetlands" includes swamps, marshes, bogs and similar areas that are delineated in accordance with the 1987 United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) wetland delineation manual and any other procedures and requirements adopted by the USACE for delineating wetlands.
WHAT IS A WETLAND? Many wetlands types and names: • Bog • Fen • Swamp • Marsh • Vernal or ephemeral pool • Wet prairie and prairie potholes. 3/3/2017 8
A WETLAND HAS… • In order to be a legally defined wetland (jurisdictional and isolated) an area must meet all 3 of the following criteria: Hydric soils; 1) Presence or indicators of hydrology; and 2) Predominance of hydrophytic vegetation. 3) • Technical knowledge of these criteria is important in order to properly identify wetland boundaries.
WHERE DOES THE WETLAND START/STOP Wetland Indicators Forested Wetland, Sandusky, County, OH
HYDRIC SOILS INDICATORS
Wetland Soils WETLAND SOILS Most wetland soils have reduced oxygen levels, which give the soils particular characteristics. • Gleyed or mottled • Accumulation of organic matter • Oxidized root channels • Smell of rotten eggs (hydrogen sulfide)
HYDROPHYTIC VEGETATION INDICATORS
AJ8 Plants that occur in wetland environments are known as hydrophytes. These AJ9 plants are classified according to their probability of occurrence. Several of these classification terms are described below. Facultative Wetland Plants (FACW) : Plants Obligate Wetland Plants (OBL) : Plants that usually occur (67-99%) in wetlands with a high probability (> 99%) of occurring under natural conditions. in wetlands under natural conditions. Facultative Plants (FAC) : Plants that sometimes occur (33-67%) in wetland environments under natural conditions.
Slide 14 AJ8 move near features up top. fewer pics and larger Aishah Jones, 2/21/2017 AJ9 get some more common plants Aishah Jones, 2/21/2017
WETLAND HYDROLOGY Wetland hydrology indicators provide evidence that the site has a continuing wetland hydrolic regime and that hydric soils and hydrophytic vegetation are not relics of a past hydrologic regime.
WETLAND HYDROLOGY INDICATORS
Emergent Marsh ‐ Hocking County
Wet Meadow – Champaign County
Shrub Swamp – Hocking County
Forested Wetland – Montgomery County
WHERE DOES THE WETLAND START/STOP Wetland Delineation
• Wetland delineations are conducted in accordance with the 1987 USA USACE E Wetland tland Delineation Manual & Delineation Manual Delineation Manual Regional Supplements • There are ten(10) regional supplements issued by the USACE which are specific to different regions of the United States • Wetlands must have three specific criteria in order to be classified as a wetland: hydric soils, hydrophytic vegetation, and hydrology • During a wetland delineation, a project area is surveyed to determine whether wetlands with the three criteria are present • Regulatory waterbody/stream requirements can vary by state, but usually include a distinct bed and bank
HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHETHER AN AOC IS A WETLAND?
WHY DO WE CONDUCT WETLAND DELINEATIONS? • Wetland/waterbody delineations are done to assess jurisdictional waters of the United States. Wetland delineations are important because they • map the areas where wetlands and streams occur. • Impacts to wetlands/waterbodies can require permits from federal, state, and local agencies
JURISDICTIONAL DETERMINATION(JD) Jurisdictional Det Jurisdictional Determination (JD) rmination (JD) is the process of identifying waters of the United States, including streams and wetlands, regulated by the Corps of Engineers under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act within a given project area.
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