May 31, 2010
Scientists Danny DeAngelo and Shane Staten recently completed a Jurisdictional Assessment of a 246-acre Missouri River floodplain property to determine the extents of wetlands, streams, and ponds subject to potential regulation under Sections 404 and 401 of the Clean Water Act.
Before the land was converted to agriculture, the site’s location in the Missouri River alluvial plain likely resulted in significant amounts of wetlands because of shallow ground water and frequent flooding. However, in recent decades the creation of multiple levees, a major river diversion and agricultural drainages have lessened the hydrologic influences, resulting in a decrease in wetlands on the property.
Because agricultural manipulation of the vegetation, soils and hydrology has obscured the current limits of farmed wetlands, several techniques were utilized to accurately delineate those wetlands. First, a thorough review of historical aerial photographs and precipitation records led to the selection of one image as showing the extent of surface inundation or saturation under the most normal hydrological conditions. Additionally, many secondary indicators of wetland hydrology were used, such as soil surface cracks, algal mats, crayfish burrows and stunted crops. Finally, numerous soil samples were taken surrounding farmed wetlands to determine the limits of hydric soils when wetland hydrology did not determine the wetland boundary.
The result was a scientifically defensible description of the current limits of potentially jurisdictional features on the client’s property. For more information, contact your local office of Terra Technologies.
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