Description:

“The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a final rule defining the scope of waters protected under the Clean Water Act… The rule will ensure protection for the nation’s public health and aquatic resources, and increase CWA program predictability and consistency by clarifying the scope of ‘‘waters of the United States’’ protected under the Act…This rule is effective on August 28, 2015.”

- The Final Clean Water Rule, USEPA (link to full document)

**This course will be presented online as a live webinar in three 2-hour sessions. Sessions will be recorded and will be available to all enrolled attendees. All paid registrants will receive a certificate of completion of 0.6 CEU's**

All sessions will be from 10 a.m.-noon Pacific (11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mountain) (noon to 2 p.m. Central) and (1-3 p.m. Eastern).

Group discounts are available. Please call 425-270-3274 ext 103 for more information.

Waters of the United States have been defined and redefined by statute, by regulations, and by judicial rulings.  With each rule-making, federal jurisdiction, and many states’ and local jurisdictions of waters and wetlands have been significantly altered.  Most commonly, the definition is used at various levels of government to define the limits Clean Water Act programs, most commonly for the NPDES (Section 402) and Dredge and Fill Permits (Section 404), but the definitions are also used in a variety of other programs which affect, or may affect water quality.  

The most recent changes, promulgated by the US EPA, are an attempt to clarify which waters are regulated by these programs, based on past rulings, but keeping with the intent of the Clean Water Act “to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters”

This six-hour webinar will review and explain changes and clarifications in the newest regulations, and will also discuss potential challenges to these regulations.  Discussions will cover how these regulations affect the different regulatory programs.  The topic of “significant nexus” and other points of discretion will be examined with potential interpretations being important aspects of the class.

During this informative webinar, Instructor Larry Lodwick will review the significant changes contained in the rule, highlight some things that have NOT changed, and answer questions from participants regarding specific situations.

If you are planning to attend the session and have a question about the rule, please email your question to info@nwetc.org with “Waters of the United States Question” in the subject at least one week before the first session of the webinar. Larry will integrate reoccurring questions into the course material, and address relevant issues during the session, time permitting.

*Update: A Federal District Court Issues First Decision Regarding New “Waters Of The US” Regulations

Intended Audience:

The topics and discussion in this webinar are designed to Environmental Consultants, Wetland Scientists, Land Planners, and Public Works Personnel.

Anyone working with water quality, wetlands, wetlands management, permitting and/or delineation of wetlands, or who deals with NPDES/Stormwater management regulations will benefit from this course.

Continuing Education Units: 0.60 CEUs

More Information

Course Topics

• Review of the Final Clean Water Act
• Why we got to the need for clarification of the phrase “waters of the United States”
• “Significant nexus” will be extensively covered
• Tributaries
• Adjacent waters
• Floodplain wetlands
• Geographical extent of wetlands included in Waters of the United States
• Bed and Bank definition
• Ditches and Man-made waterways
• Isolated wetlands, including vernal pools and playas
• Current challenges to the regulations
• Excluded waters

• Questions from attendees/Discussion

About the Instructor

Larry Lodwick

Larry has been an ecologist for 45 years, with experience in both the public and private sectors. With a M.S. degree in biology from Baylor University, with his thesis researching primary production in east Texas peatlands, his interest through the years has been on the ecological functions of natural systems. He has worked as a natural resources biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (park operations), an ecologist for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation in coastal management and wetland regulation, and as an ecological consultant in California, Oregon, and Washington. During the fall of 2016, Larry taught an upper level undergraduate class entitled Wetland Ecology, at The University of Montana Western. Larry has written a number of journal and newsletter articles, and has participated in a number of conferences over the years. He recently published his new e-book, "Creative Habitat Restoration: Comprehensive Planning, Implementation, and Long-Term Management".

Larry has taught courses in habitat restoration in Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Texas, and in Vancouver, British Columbia, and has mentored many entry-level biologists in the science of habitat restoration.

What to Bring

N/A

Billing Information

In order to guarantee a space in a course, the tuition must be paid in full TWO WEEKS before the first day of the course by either check or credit card. State and government agencies paying with a purchase order are allowed payment under the two-week time frame if a copy of the purchase order is received by NWETC.

If You Need to Cancel

Cancellations*

• With 31 or more days notice, we will offer a 100% refund or credit towards a future course. The credit is good for one year and may be applied to any course.
• With 30-8 days notice, we will offer a course credit towards a future course. The credit is good for one year and may be applied to any course.
• With fewer than 8 days notice, there is no course credit available

*Please note that attendee replacement is welcome at any time

Disability Accommodations

Disability Accommodations:

N/A