05-02-11 Drainage and Flooding Committee Meeting minutes

Browse Search

ATTACHMENT A TASK I WETLAND DUE DILIGENCE STUDY The goal of the Wetland Due Diligence Study is to provide a cost - effective evaluation of the project site for wetlands that may influence the design and/or construction of a project. The Wetland Due Diligence Study is NOT a wetland delineation conducted according the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual — Technical Report Y -87 -1, but it is based on the criteria used by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to determine Jurisdictionality under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and /or Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. The Due Diligence Study should not be used as a baseline for actual engineering or design, but it can prove to be valuable for evaluating the feasibility of a project. If potential wetland areas are discovered during site reconnaissance, their approximate areas and locations will be estimated and located on a site drawing. Based upon our findings, delineation of wetland areas may be recommended to determine the actual acreage of jurisdictional wetlands. If no wetland areas are found that would be considered jurisdictional, Berg ♦ Oliver Associates, Inc. will provide a letter indicating such findings. In order for work to begin, the client must provide a plat, map, or survey of the property sufficient for Berg ♦ Oliver Associates, Inc. to determine, while in the field, the boundary edges of the study site. SCOPE OF WORK The tasks we are proposing to provide in the Wetland Due Diligence Study are as follows: 1. Perform in- office evaluation of the property from infrared aerial photography and other available information to identify potential wetlands. 2. Conduct a field reconnaissance, which will include walking the entire perimeter of the project area to confirm the findings of the in -office evaluation. 3. Document field notes and general observations of the site, and estimate approximate sizes and locations of any wetland areas and/or hydrological connections to a Water of the U.S. and/or 100 -year FEMA floodplain. 4. Classify any identified wetlands as "isolated," "potentially isolated," "adjacent," or "potentially adjacent." 5. Prepare a letter report of findings, including a map rendering of the site, with the above information. 6. Make recommendations as appropriate. 7. Upon client request, submit findings to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in order to obtain an official Jurisdictional Determination. The USACE determination may indicate the necessity of obtaining a permit. If a permit is required for site activities, a wetland delineation and a subsequent USACE verification will likely be required. (Response from the USACE may take up to 120 days.) Berg ♦ Oliver Associates, Inc. 130A Project Number 8310espr July 5, 2011