EPA's Proposed New Rule and the Science Supporting It
Location
Eccles Conference Center Auditorium
Event Website
http://water.usu.edu
Start Date
3-31-2015 8:35 AM
End Date
3-31-2015 9:15 AM
Description
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development (EPA ORD) recently released a report, titled Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: A Review and Synthesis of the Scientific Evidence, that summarizes more than 1200 studies from the peer-reviewed scientific literature on the structural and functional connectivity of streams and wetlands to downstream waters such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs and estuaries. The evidence reviewed in this report spans many decades of research into aquatic ecosystems and watershed processes. It provides a scientific basis for the proposed Clean Water Rule, released in draft form in 2014, clarifying the definition of “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act. As a technical review, the ORD report does not consider or set forth legal standards for CWA jurisdiction. Rather, it summarizes current scientific understanding of the hydrologic, chemical, and biological connections by which small or temporary streams, nontidal wetlands, and open-waters, singly or in aggregate, affect the integrity of waters protected by the Clean Water Act. It is the result of a multi-year collaboration by scientists working across disciplinary and organizational boundaries to synthesize the best available science in response to evolving policy needs.
EPA's Proposed New Rule and the Science Supporting It
Eccles Conference Center Auditorium
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development (EPA ORD) recently released a report, titled Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: A Review and Synthesis of the Scientific Evidence, that summarizes more than 1200 studies from the peer-reviewed scientific literature on the structural and functional connectivity of streams and wetlands to downstream waters such as rivers, lakes, reservoirs and estuaries. The evidence reviewed in this report spans many decades of research into aquatic ecosystems and watershed processes. It provides a scientific basis for the proposed Clean Water Rule, released in draft form in 2014, clarifying the definition of “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act. As a technical review, the ORD report does not consider or set forth legal standards for CWA jurisdiction. Rather, it summarizes current scientific understanding of the hydrologic, chemical, and biological connections by which small or temporary streams, nontidal wetlands, and open-waters, singly or in aggregate, affect the integrity of waters protected by the Clean Water Act. It is the result of a multi-year collaboration by scientists working across disciplinary and organizational boundaries to synthesize the best available science in response to evolving policy needs.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/runoff/2015/2015Abstracts/2