US Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Program

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U.S. Army Corps of EngineersRegulatory Program

• Todays Agenda
• Jurisdiction
• Regulated Activities
• Exempted Emergency Activities
• Permits Mitigation
• Enforcement
• Recent Changes

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Colorado Regulatory
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Corps Regulatory Mission
Take all actions in the context of maintaining
or enhancing protection of the aquatic
environment, while focusing the Corps and
applicants efforts in areas that result in value
added for the environment. Make fair
reasonable decisions to regulated public
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Statutory Authorities

• Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899
• Section 10
• Navigable Waters
• Structures in, over, or under
• Clean Water Act of 1972, as amended
• Section 404
• Waters of the United States
• Discharges of dredged or fill material

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Clean Water Act
Purpose is to restore and maintain the
chemical, physical biological integrity of the
nations waters.
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Section 404 of the Clean Water Act

• Requires a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit
  prior to the discharge of dredged or fill
  material into waters of the United States.

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Waters of the United States

• All waters that are, were, or could be used to
  support interstate commerce.
• Navigable Waters (Section 10 of the RHA)
• Interstate Waters
• Colorado, S. Platte, Arkansas Rivers
• Tributaries of Interstate Waters
• Gunnison River, Cherry Creek, etc.
• Unnamed Intermittent and Ephemeral Streams
• Adjacent Wetlands

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Section 404 Jurisdiction
- Wetlands
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Isolated Watersnot Regulated
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Wetlands33CFR 328.3(b)

• The term wetlands means those areas that
  are inundated or saturated by surface or ground
  water at a frequency and duration sufficient to
  support, and that under normal circumstances do
  support, a prevalence of vegetation typically
  adapted for life in saturated soil conditions.

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Wetland Functions Values

• ENVIRONMENTAL
• Water Quality
• Pollution Filter
• Sediment Removal
• Oxygen Production
• Nutrient Recycling
• Chemical Absorption
• Aquatic Productivity
• Fish Habitat
• Waterfowl Habitat
• Wildlife Habitat

• SOCIOECONOMIC
• Flood Control
• Wave Protection
• Erosion Control
• Groundwater Recharge
• Aesthetics
• Recreation
• Hunting
• Fishing
• Sight Seeing
• Education/Research

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Regulated Activities
Discharges Into Waters
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Dredged Material33 CFR Part 323.2(d)

• Material that is excavated or dredged from
  waters of the United States.
• (1) Discharge of dredged material is any
  addition of dredged material into (including
  redeposit of dredged material) waters of the
  United States, excluding incidental fallback.
  Includes temporary fills.
• (2) Discharge of dredged material does not
  include activities that involve only the cutting
  or removing of vegetation above the ground.

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Fill Material33 CFR Part 323.2(e)

• (1) Material placed in waters of the United
  States that has the effect of
• Replacing any portion of a water of the United
  States with dry land or
• Changing the bottom elevation of any portion of a
  water of the United States
• (2) Examples of fill material include rock, sand,
  soil, clay, plastics, construction debris, wood
  chips, overburden from mining or other excavation
  activities. Fill material does not include trash
  or garbage.

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Exempted Activities

• normal Farming activities
• Farm or Stock Pond or Irrigation ditch
  construction or maintenance
• Temporary Sediment Basins
• Farm, Forest, or temporary Mining Roads
• Maintenance (including emergency reconstruction)
• Subject to recapture fill must not convert a
  water to a new use, change the flow or
  circulation, or reduce the reach of the waters

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Ditch Maintenance
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Emergency Procedures

• Emergency
• Hazard to Life
• Loss of Property
• Immediate, Unforeseen Economic Hardship
• Corrective Measures Needed Immediately
• Division Engineer Determines Processing
  Procedures
• Usually Requires 24 to 48 Hours to Process

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Corps Permit Authorizations

• Nationwide General Permits
• 3 Maintenance
• 12 Utilities
• 14 Roads
• 27 Stream Wetland Restoration
• 39 Commercial Developments
• Regional General Permits
• Standard (Individual) Permits

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Nationwide General Permits March 19, 2007

• - Section 404(e) of the CWA
• - Permits authorize 50 classes of activities
• - General Conditions
• - Regional Conditions
• - Permits expire on March 19, 2012

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Public InterestEvaluation Factors (IPs)

• Conservation
• Economics
• Aesthetics
• Environmental Concerns
• Fish Wildlife
• Flood Damage
• Historic Cultural Resources
• Food Production

• Recreation
• Land Use
• Water Quality
• Water Supply
• Navigation
• Rare/Threatened Endangered Species
• Safety
• Energy Needs

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Mitigation

• 1. Avoid
• 2. Minimize
• 3. Compensate
• In that order, required on
  every project!

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ENFORCEMENT

• Unauthorized Activities (USEPA)
• Responsible parties are subject to fines
• of up to 32,500 per day of violation.
• Non-Compliance (USACE)
• Class I civil penalties may not exceed 11,000
  per violation, except that the maximum amount of
  any Class I civil penalty shall not exceed
  27,500. Penalty may be pursued in conjunction
  with a compliance order for restoration and/or
  mitigation.

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Where arewe now??

• SWANCC
• Arid Manual
• New NWPs
• Rapanos
• ORM2

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How Can We Work Together?

• Identify Waters Advance plan/Early
  Coordination
• Develop Environmentally Use Professionals

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Colorado U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

• Denver, CO Grand
  Junction, CO
• 9307 S. Wadsworth
  400 Rood Ave, 142
• Denver, CO 80128
  Grand Junction, CO 81501
• 303-979-4120
  970-243-1199 979-4120
• Pueblo, CO Durango,
  CO
• 200 S. Sante Fe Ave, 301
  799 E. 3rd St., 2
• Pueblo, CO 81003
  Durango, CO 81303
• 719-543-9459
  970-375-9506
• 
  Frisco, CO
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  P.O. Box 607
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  Frisco, CO 80443
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  970-668-9676
• Web Page
  http//www.usace.army.mil

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Thanks for your time!