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Clean Water Act Section 401 – Certification and Wetlands Program

WETLAND AND RIPARIAN AREA PROTECTION POLICY

Past Public Meetings

  • Information Item - State Water Board Meeting, October 6, 2009
    The State Water Board was briefed on a wetland definition developed by the Technical Advisory Team (TAT), at the October 6th Board Meeting. to be held at the CalEPA Building in Sacramento
  • Meetings with Phase 1 WRAPP stakeholders were held in Sacramento December 4 & 5, 2008
    State and Regional Water Board policy staff heard comments from representatives of the following groups regarding the policy scope: (1) business; (2) environmental; (3) state & local agencies; (4) agriculture, timber & range; (5) federal and tribes; and (6) public health and safety. The Policy Development Team will use this input to develop a first draft of the policy and supporting staff report for future public review.
  • August -September 2008 - CEQA Scoping Meetings
    State Water Board staff sought public input regarding the scope and content of Phase 1 of a statewide policy to protect waters of the state, including wetlands, from dredge and fill activities, as described in the State Water Board Resolution No. 2008-0026. CEQA Scoping Meetings on Phase I of the Wetland & Riparian area Protection Policy are scheduled for August 18 (Sacramento) and August 20 (Huntington Beach). Comment deadline is September 8, 2008, by 12 p.m. Please see the public notice for details.
  • July 15, 2008 - Board Update
    The Water Resources Board was updated on the progress of the Wetland Policy Development Team's charter, stakeholder plan, and timelines at the Board Meeting.
  • April 15, 2008 - Resolution Passed
    The State Water Board passed a resolution directing work to begin on a statewide wetland and riparian area policy for future consideration. The policy will be developed in three phases, with the first phase due by mid-2009.
  • April-May, 2007 - Wetland and Riparian Area Protection Proposed Policy

Technical Advisory Team Memoranda

Related Information

  • Executive Order W-59-93 (signed by Governor Pete Wilson on August 23, 1993) established state policy guidelines for wetlands conservation. The primary goal of this policy is to ensure no overall net loss and to achieve a long-term net gain in the quantity, quality, and permanence of wetland acreage in California. The federal wetlands policy, representing a significant advance in wetlands protection, was unveiled by nine federal agencies on August 24, 1993.
  • Compensatory Mitigation Study Now Available
    The State Water Resources Control Board has released a comprehensive study that evaluates the effectiveness of the State's wetland regulatory program. The study found that the permit compliance was generally met and that overall wetland acreage was being maintained; however, the biological health of the these replacement wetlands was low. The study is titled "An Evaluation of Compensatory Mitigation Projects Permitted Under Clean Water Act Section 401 by the California State Water Resources Control Board, 1991-2002" by Richard F. Ambrose and Steven F. Lee of the University of California, Los Angeles, and John C. Callaway of the University of San Francisco.
  • SWANCC decision - isolated waters information and related documents.

More Information

 

(Updated 6/16/10)