WSP06003

• File Number: 8449.900
• Description: Bear Creek
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Date: 11/1/1991
• Author: City of Lakewood
• Title: Bear Creek Lake Preliminary Environmental Assessment Wetland Task Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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Federal Register I Vol. 55, No. 48 I Monday, March 12, 1990 J Notices

unavoidable impscla will then be
mill8ated 10 the extent appropriate and
practicable by requiring .tepslo
minimiu impaciA, and. fmally,
comp.....te for .quatic resource v.lues.
Thill sequence is considered sati.fJed
where the proposed mitigation is in
acconiaDce with .pecific provisions of a
COJlI8 and EPA approved . .
comprehensive plan thai ensures
compliance with the compensation
requiremenll of the Section 404{bJ(l)
Guidelines (example of such .
camprehenaive plans may include
Special Area Managemenl Plana.
Advance Identification areS! {Section
230.80), and State Coaslal Zone
Managemenl PlaDl). It may be
approprialelodeviale from the
sequence when EPA and the Corps
asree the pl'OpOled discharge ill
necessary 10 avoid environmenlal nal'lll
(..... 10 prolect a natural aquatic
community from saltwaler intrusion.
chemical conlamination. or other
delelerioUl physical or chemical
impaclll. or EPA and lhe Corps qree
thai the proposed di""harge can
reasonably be expected 10 reaullln
environmental gain or inaignificanl
environmental losses.
III delermiDing "appropriate and
practicable" measures tn offset
unavoidable impacts. IlUch mea.ures
.hould be appropriate to the scope and
degree af those impllCb and ]JI'8ctlcable
in lerms af cost. existing technology. and
losIatlca in light of overaU projeCl
purpo.... TIle Corp. will give fuU
con.ideration to the viC\'13 of the
ruaurce agende. when making this
determillation.
1. Avoidance.' Sectian 230.10(a)
aUows permit I.surance for only the
leaat envUonmentaUy damaging
practicable a1lemative-"Tha thruat of.
this .ectlon on a1lemativ.. is avoidance
of Impacts. Section 230.10(aJ require.
thai no discharge shan be permitted if
there la a practicable allernative 10 the
proposed dIscharge whIch would hava
Ie.. adverlle impaCllo the aquatic
.....y.lem. "" Ions aa the alterDative
don nol hue olber slgnif"1C8D1 adverse
IIlvtrolllDl!DIal conaequenceL In
sddition. Section 230.10(a){3) aela Iorth
rebuttable presumpljons that 1) .
altamatives for DOn-waler dependent
activities that do nol involve .pecial

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. AvoidaDclu __ID .&beSec:lJa.4lM(blI)
GalcIoU- ODd IbIa MOA don no'lDdudo
-..., ...1Ip.....
. h 11.""'1 ID~ Iliallbeft.are
.. -....Iloo_01.........,._
ID aipiflcaDl tbaa..,.jf..k . ..._....,.
...Uablo.lba-" ..,._toa..........
Nprd....... . .............. .
(.. CPR ZIll.1ll(en. . .. ,.

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aquetic siles" are available and 2)
alternative. that do not inyolve special
aquatic site. have Ie.. adyerse impact
on the aquatic environment
Compensatory mitigation may not be
used as a method 10 reduce
envUoDDlenlal impact. In the evalaulion
of the leaat environmelnaUy dammaging
praticable alternative. for the pwpos..
of requiremenll W1der Section 230.10{a).
. L Minimization. Section Z3D.1O(d)
slates tbatappropriale and practicable
steps to minimize the advene impacla
will be required throagb ~
modifications and permil conditionL
Subpart H of lbe guidelines describe.
soveral (bul not all] means for
Dlilllimi,il18 impacts of aD. activity.
3. Compensatory Mitigation.
Appi-opriale and practicable
compell58lory mitigalioD is required f<<
UDavoidable adverse impacts which .
remain after all appropria Ie and
practicable m;m.mi'PJ:lUOD baa been
required. Compensatory actiana (e.g~
restoration of existing degraded
wetlands Dr creation of man. made
wetlands) should be undertaken. when
practicable, in are88 sdiacanl Dr
contiguoUl to the di.charge aile (on-sile
campenaatory mitigation). If on-.ile
compensatory mitigation Is nol
practicable. off.slte compensatory
mitigation .hoold be undertake:! in the
same geographic area.if practicable {I.e.
in dose phy1ricalproximity and. 10 the
exlent pos.ible. the .ama watershed]. In
deteImining compensatory mitigation.
the functional 1'alue. lost by the
resource to be Impacted mUll be
conaidered. GeneraUy, in-kind
compeDlatory mitigation is preferable to
out-of.<<fnd. 'l'bere Is continued
uncertainty resarding the IIUCCOSI of
wetland creation or other babital
development. Therefore. in determWns
the nat8re and exlenl of habitat ..
development of thi.l)'pe CMeI\d
- conaideralkNt should be given 10 lis
likelihood olaucc..s. Because lbe
lik.w.-l of auccossla 8"'aler and the
. Impacts to potentiaUy value upland. are
reduced, ....loration should be the IInI
opllon considered.
In the siI1Ialion where the Corps i.
evalualln8 a projeCl where a permit
Issued by another agency requin!s
~-.p-..tory miligation. the Corps may
cOllSider that mitigation aa part af the
overaU appUcation for purpcIlIOW of
pubUc notice. but avoidance and.. .
minlmi!l'.Atiou :shall.till be-ushL
NiUgalioa b-an~;"g may be ....
ac<:eptable farm of COIDpeusalorJ
mitigation under specific ceiteria

.~ ~_lndade""""-- ed
~............ -.........-
.......,.0Dd_.... " .

d..igned to ensure an environmentally
.ucce..ful bank. Where a mitigation
bmk hRs been approved by EPA and tbe
Corps for purpo... of providing
compellSatory mitigation for specific
identifred projecll, use of thai mitigation
b:mk for those particular projects i.
con.idered .s meeting the objecti~es of
Seclion n.c.3 af this MOA. regardless of
the practicability af other foans of
compensatory milig.tion. Additional
guidance on mitiglllion banking will be
provided. Simple purchase or
"preservation" of existing wetlands
re.ources may in only exceptional
circmnstances be accepted as
compOllllalory mitigation. EPA and
Army will develop speci6c guidance for
preservation in the context of .
compOllllatmy miligatiGn at a later date.

III Other PmcedlJl'08

A. Potential appUcnnll lor major
projects should be encouraged to
arral18e preapplicaUon meetings with
the Corps and appropriale federal state
or Indian tribaL and local authorities to
determine requiremenl3 and
documentation required lor proposed
peIIDit evaluations. As a result of such
meelil18s' the applicanl often revises a
proposal 10 avoid or minimize adverse
Impacts after developing an
understanding of the Guidelines
requiremenll by which a fulure Section
4Df peanildecis.ian will be made. ill
addition to gliDing... undelSlaDding of
othersta18 or tribal. or local .
requirements. Compliance with other
.Ialntel. requiremenla and revi...... such
a. NEPA and the Corps public in_
review, may not in and 01 them.elves
satisfy the requiremenls pre.cribed in
the GuidelineL
B.1D achieving the 8Oal. of the CW A.
the Corp. vri1l strive to avoid adverse
impacts and offsetllllll1'Oidable ad_se
Impacla to exi.ting aquatic "'GIII"CeS.
Measures which can aCCQDIplish thia
can be idenlified only tbrough resoun:e
..seasmen13 tailored to the site
performed by qualified professionals
beca...e ecolagical charaClerbtics af
each aquatic site an! unique. Functional
val... ""auld be 8Sle..ed by applying
aquatic si18 8Slessmenlleclmiqnes
generaUy recognized by experts in the
field and/or Ibe best profe..ional
judgmmt "fFeder&! and State agem:y
repre1lentatrres,pmvided nch
assemnenta fully consider ecological
functioml tncIoded in lhe Guidelines.
The ObjecliVll of mitigation for
unavoidable impacts Is 10 offset
enviromnenlallones. AdditinnaJly 1m
wetlmds. such miUga1\an shauld.
provide, at.. minimum, one for 01U!
f_lI...,od 1'Oplar:ement {I.e~ 110 1IeIlosa