Wetlands Basic

The following exercise is designed to reinforce your understanding of some of the basics of wetlands regulation and the wetlands permitting process under the Clean Water Act. Knowledge of the basic structure of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act is necessary to complete this exercise.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the lesson, the student will be able to:

1. Analyze the definition of "wetlands" as defined by the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
2. Describe situations in which Section 404(f)(1) of the Clean Water Act exempts the discharge of dredged or fill material from normal farming.
3. Explain which federal agencies must be provided a copy of a permit application under Section 404 for review and comment.
4. Discuss the public interest regulations and what the Corps of Engineers is required to do.