Clean Water Act Section 404:

An O&G Perspective

Andrew D. SmithSWCA Environmental

Consultants

Projects in Waters of the US Regulations/Permits

• Clean Water Act– Section 404 – Army Corps Permit– Section 401 – State Certification

• River and Harbors Act– Section 10 – Army Corps

Jurisdictional Waters of the U.S.

• Surface waters such as– Rivers, streams, and

their tributaries– Wetlands adjacent to

these waters– Ponds, lakes, and

reservoirs– Arroyos

Jurisdictional Wetlands1. Wetland

Hydrology2. Hydrophytic

Vegetation3. Hydric Soils

Jurisdictional Waters of the U.S.

Non-jurisdictional Waters

• Isolated wetlands• Swales• Ditches• Significant nexus

Typical Activities Requiring Permits

• Construction of access roads• Construction of well pads• Pipeline crossings• Placement of riprap or channel

protection• Construction of ponds, dams,

dikes, or weirs

Example Activities Requiring Permits

Wetland Delineations

• Project scheduling and timing– May be seasonal restrictions (winter,

growing season

• Locating and siting wetlands– Blue and white area on USGS maps

could be waters of the U.S.

• Delineate the wetland– Jurisdictional determination– Map and document

Section 404 Permitting

• Avoid or minimize project impacts to wetlands

• Quantify unavoidable impacts< 0.5 acre – Nationwide Permit> 0.5 acre – Individual Permit

• Mitigate impacts > 0.1 acre

Nationwide Permits

• For common activities with minimal wetland/waters of the U.S. impacts

• Typical NWPs applicable to O&G activity– NWP 12: Utility Line Activities– NWP 14: Linear Transportation Projects– NWP 27: Stream and Wetland

Restoration Activities

Individual Permits

• For projects > 0.5 acre impacts to wetlands or other waters of the U.S. or > 300 linear feet of streambed fill

• Public review of permit application– 15 to 30 day public comment period

• Mitigation plan and implementation required

• Generally take 4 to 6 months for approval

Nationwide Permits

• Submit Preconstruction Notification (PCN)– Permittee contact info– Project description, location, purpose– Quantify unavoidable wetland impacts– Other environmental impacts– Maps, photos

• Corps has 45 days to respond to PCN• “The prospective permittee shall not begin the

activity…Unless 45 days have passed from the District Engineer’s receipt of the complete notification.”

• NWPs may take 90 days to process if mitigation required

Mitigation

• “No net loss” of wetlands– Typically 1:1 mitigation ratio in Colorado– Varies depending on habitat value,

quality– “After-the-fact” typically higher ratio • Restoration• Creation• Enhancement• Mitigation bank guidance

Mitigation Aspects and Costs• Planning• Construction• Annual Monitoring• Maintenance

Army Corps must sign off on completed mitigation

(Typically 3 to 5 years for success)

Wetland Enhancement

and Restoration

Wetland Mitigation Site Adams County, Colorado

2003 - Baseline Photo 2005 – Same Location After Wetland Creation

We obtained Corps of Engineers sign-off of the mitigation at this site only 2 years after

implementation.

Compliance

Compliance

Questions?

For more information, contact:Andrew D. Smith

SWCA Environmental Consultants239.470.7868303.487.1183

asmith@swca.com