Wetland Ecology Group
Background
The Wetland Ecology Group performs wetland research with the goal of developing wetland biocriteria and wetland water quality standards for Ohio. Funded largely by USEPA grants awarded to assist states with the development of water quality standards for wetlands, the Wetland Ecology Group's work will aid and strengthen the basis for regulatory decisions made by the 401 Water Quality Certification Section.
The responsibilities of the Wetland Ecology Group include:
- Wetland research
- Wetland bioassessment
- Wetland biocriteria development
For general information about the Wetland Ecology Group, contact:
Randy Bournique
Phone: (614) 644-2013
E-mail: randy.bournique@epa.state.oh.us
See below for more contacts and links.
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DSW Wetland Ecologist
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Brian Gara
Wetland Ecology Group
Division of Surface Water
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
4675 Homer-Ohio Lane
Groveport, Ohio 43125
Phone: (614) 836-8787
FAX: (614) 836-8795
E-mail: brian.gara@epa.state.oh.us |
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Training Offered
Posted August 6, 2010
Wetland Biocriteria Training is Offered for 2010
An intensive, three day, classroom and field class focusing on vegetation and amphibian sampling techniques for wetlands is being offered. The date for this class is September 15-17, 2010. Classes will be held at Ohio EPA’s Field Office, 4675 Homer Ohio Lane, Groveport, Ohio 43125. Field training will occur in central Ohio wetlands.
The training will involve classroom lectures, data collection in the field, and data exercises for manipulating and analyzing the data. The focus will be on collecting data to calculate wetland IBIs. Applicants need to be skilled in the identification of Ohio wetland flora and the performance of quantitative vegetation surveys. There are prerequisites for the course that must be addressed in the application. This course is targeted at those individuals who within the next 12 months will be conducting Vegetation Index of Biotic Integrity and/or Amphibian Index of Biotic Integrity evaluations of natural or constructed wetlands.
Please use the form below to register for the course. E-mail or fax the completed registration form to Brian Gara at brian.gara@epa.state.oh.us or 614-836-8795. Because of the expected high demand, small class size, and limited number of classes that can be offered, preference will be given to persons meeting the course prerequisites. Applications are due by September 3, 2010 and attendees will be notified by September 7.
Day 1 will start promptly at 9:00 am and have a classroom session in the morning and a field component in the afternoon. Day 2 will start at 8:30 am and will be spent in the field. Day 3 will be a classroom session and will start at 9:00 am and end no later than 4:00 pm. Participants will need to bring field clothes, waterproof knee boots, a compass, rain gear, a clip board and, if possible, a laptop computer with Excel software.
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Ohio Rapid Assessment Method for Wetlands (ORAM) Documents
In an effort to be efficient in making and approving wetland category assignments, Ohio EPA has compiled a ten page Ohio Rapid Assessment Method for Wetlands Version 5.0 (ORAM) form. If filled out completely the ORAM form will assure we have all information needed for approving wetland category assignments. The ten page ORAM form below should be submitted for all wetland characterizations associated with Nationwide Permit, Isolated Wetland Permit and Section 401 Water Quality Certification applications. One form (all 10 pages) should be filled out completely for each wetland the ORAM protocols identify as an individual scoring boundary. See Section 5.0 of the ORAM Version 5.0 Users Manual and page 3 of 10 of the ORAM form below for scoring boundary protocols and the Scoring Boundary Worksheet, respectively. For applications with multiple wetlands, as determined by the ORAM protocols, it is permissible to use duplicates for the location maps or drawings and sketches required to complete Pages 1 and 2 of the ORAM form. However, Pages 1 and 2 of each form must include all information for the wetland being assessed.
When several wetlands on a site are uniform in size and other characteristics (wetland type, buffer widths, surrounding land uses, hydrology sources, hydrologic regime and level of intactness, habitat quality and level of intactness, plant community composition, maturity, quality and microtopographic features), it is possible to use one ORAM form and have the assessment apply to all of the similar wetlands. When this is the case, the rationale for using one ORAM form should be well documented in the Comments box on Page 2 of the ORAM form. The appropriateness of using one ORAM form for multiple assessments will be at the sole discretion of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
Applications must include submittal of the ten page ORAM form below for each wetland, or the application will be returned as incomplete.
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Links to Related Sites
Ohio EPA sites
DSW 401 Water Quality Certification page (also covers isolated wetland permits)
http://www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/401/index.aspx
DSW Laws and Rules page
http://www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/rules/index.aspx
Ohio Water Resource Inventories page
http://www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/document_index/305b.html
Non-Ohio EPA sites
Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Section 1341)
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/33/1341.html
Ohio isolated wetlands permitting bill (Ohio House Bill 231 of the 124th General Assembly)
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=124_HB_231
Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Wetlands page
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/dnap/wetlands/tabid/998/Default.aspx
U.S. EPA, Wetlands page
http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/
Ohio EPA contributed wetlands case studies information to U.S. EPAs BAWWG (Biological Assessment for Wetlands Workgroup) Web page. Included are a photo tour of Ohio wetlands and a photo tour of Ohio wetland plants.
National Wetlands Mitigation Action Plan page
http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/wetlands/wetlandsmitigation_index.cfm#plan
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