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~~ <br />I. BACKGROUND <br />Wetland studies became necessary following passage of the <br />Clean Water Act in 1977. Implicit in the Clean Water Act is the <br />required responsibility of any person, individual, corporation, <br />partnership, association, state, municipality, commission, <br />political subdivision of a state, or interstate body to <br />predetermine for any contemplated action whether dredge or fill <br />activities will occur in navigable waters, waters of the United <br />States, or wetlands. Dredge material is that which is excavated <br />or dredged from water or wetlands. Fill is material used for the <br />primary purpose of replacing an aquatic area with dry land or for <br />changing the bottom elevation of a water body. In general, any <br />time material is to be put in a stream, on the water line, or in <br />an adjacent wetlands area, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and, <br />in Colorado, the Water Quality Control Division of the State <br />Department of Health should be contacted prior to beginning work. <br />Placement of fill material in aquatic ecosystems constitutes <br />a direct environmental impact. Indirect environmental impact can <br />also occur, especially in relation to large development projects. <br />Indirect impacts include dewatering, defoliation, impact by <br />non-point source pollution, etc. or simply, any action that would <br />modify an aquatic system to the point where functionality is <br />altered or reduced. <br />The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers does not have anc <br />jurisdiction over indirect impacts except in the case where <br />direct impact li.e., placement of fill) triggers a regulatory <br />action. Regulatory action is implementated by wa}• of s Section <br />404 permit. If a 404 permit application is sought, application <br />information will disclose the extent of impact by both direct and <br />indirect activities. If no 404 action occurs, no permit is <br />required and indirect impact is not regulated. <br />II. HETHODS <br />j A. Determination Criteria <br />The wetlands definition that guided this study is published <br />in the Federal Register (1977) and defines wetland ecosystems as: <br />"Those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or <br />groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to <br />support, and that under normal circumstances do support, a <br />prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in <br />saturated soil conditions. Wetlands generally include <br />swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas." <br />Three parameters are implicit in this definition as outlined <br />in the "wetland Delineation Manual" (U.S. Army Corps of <br />