Cold Water Fisheries & Regulations Rainbow Smelt: FEDERAL Mara Koenig, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Midwest, https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmidwest/27627807424; Burbot: S. Zuray, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Alaska Region; Clean Water Act Endangered Species Act MASSACHUSETTS Surface Water Quality Standards Wetlands Protection Act Endangered Species Act MUNICIPAL Bylaw Guidance Document Rainbow Smelt Burbot REGIONAL LAND USE Bylaw Guidance Document Brook Trout
Federal Clean Water Act (33 USC 1251-1387; 1948; 1972; 1977) Discharge of pollutants into waters of the United States Section 404 Section 401 Physical Dredging Discharge of Dredged Materials into the water
Water Quality Certification MA DEP 314 CMR 9.00 Surface Water Quality Standards 314 CMR 4.00 & Section 401 of the Clean Water Act Cold-water Fisheries are part of Aquatic Ecosystem Higher stormwater management standards Special Aquatic Sites. Include Riffle and Pool Complexes. (40 CFR 230.45)
MA Endangered Species Act Take harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, hound, kill, trap, capture, collect, process, disrupt the nesting, breeding, feeding or migratory activity collect, pick, kill, transplant, cut or process Disruption of nesting, breeding, feeding or migratory activity may result from, but is not limited to, the modification, degradation or destruction of Habitat. ENDANGERED THREATENED SPECIAL CONCERN TOTAL BIRD 1 1 CRUSTACEAN 4 4 FISH 4 1 4 9 MUSSE 3 3 6 SNAIL 1 1 VASCULAR PLANT 17 9 6 32 TOTAL 25 10 18 53
Interests MA Wetlands Protection Act Protection of public and private water supply Protection of groundwater supply Flood control Storm damage prevention Prevention of pollution Protection of land containing shellfish Protection of fisheries Protection of wildlife habitat
Inland Resource Areas 10.58 Riverfront Area 10.54 Bank 10.56 Land Under Water Bodies & Waterways 10.57 Land Subject to Flooding (Bordering & Isolated) 10.55 Bordering Vegetated Wetlands
10.56 Land Under Water Bodies & Waterways PREAMBLE. Protect fisheries Fill Impacts water temperature, decrease in habitat = detrimental to Fisheries Survival of cold water species: brook trout, rainbow trout, salmon Physical bottom structure = escape, cover, resting habitat, foraging habitat Water quality PRESUMPTION. Project involves removing, filling, dredging or altering, issuing conditions as are necessary to protect authority shall presume significant rebuttable, clear showing GENERAL PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. When presumption not overcome, any proposed work within LUWW shall not impair: Water carrying capacity; If found to be significant to interest, the issuing authority shall impose such Ground/surface water quality; such interest Capacity of LUWW as breeding habitat, escape, cover and food for fisheries; and Capacity to provide important wildlife functions. Lesser of 10% or 5000 sf no impair.
Riverfront Area (310 CMR 10.58(4)) No Significant Adverse Impact. The work, including proposed mitigation measures, must have no significant adverse impact on the riverfront area to protect the Interests. 1. Within 200 foot riverfront areas, the issuing authority may allow the alteration of up to 5000 square feet or 10% of the riverfront area within the lot, whichever is greater or up to 10% of the riverfront area provided that: a. At a minimum, a 100 foot wide area of undisturbed vegetation is provided If there is not a 100 foot wide area of undisturbed vegetation within the riverfront area, existing vegetative cover shall be preserved or extended to the maximum extent feasible to approximate a 100 foot wide corridor of natural vegetation preponderance of evidence from a competent restoration of 100 RFA can be required to obtain a No Significant Adverse Impact
Riverfront Area HABITAT Tree trucks, roots, branches = Cover Whole trees and tip-ups = Pool habitat Leaves, small branches, bark = Energy Riparian areas = Streams/rivers in Floods Overhanging vegetation, shade = Temperature Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Coleman Egertson WATER QUALITY Increase residence time before contacting river Sediment trapping Nutrients Uptake into riparian vegetation Denitrifying bacteria Emerging research Pathogens & Toxins
Municipal Tools-Bylaws DRAFT/ADOPT LOCAL WETLANDS BYLAW Extend RFA coverage to intermittent streams Require a wider vegetated corridor Require stringent TSS removal Limit contact between water and contaminants by requiring use of untreated wood, concrete, approved plastic composites or steel PLANNING & ZONING BOARD COORDINATION Zoning overlay Imperviousness limit amount or location Performance define open space ratio, desirable density, limit development near streams Large Lot (oversized/retreat/back lot) Cluster subdivision Infill Allow increased development in developed corridors
Municipal Tools Guidance Documents Consistency/predictability Institutional memory Efficiency Town of Mashpee, http://www.mashpeema.gov/pages/mashpeema_conservation/nvbs.pdf ; Town of Barnstable, http://www.town.barnstable.ma.us/conservation/instructions/vista_2006.pdf Vegetated Buffer Strips: Slow the Flow to Protect Water Quality. MA DEP.
Contacts MA DEP Western Region Mark Stinson 413-755-2257 Central Region Judith Schmitz 508-767-2722 Southeast Region Office Wetlands Section 508-946-2700 Northeast Region Office Wetlands Section 978-694-3200 MA Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, MA Endangered Species Act, Regulatory Contacts North/Central/West Area Daisy Medeiros 508-389-6361 Central Region Emily Holt 508-389-6385
Photo Credits Slide 1: Rainbow Smelt: Mara Koenig, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Midwest, https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmidwest/27627807424; Burbot: S. Zuray, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Alaska Region; Rainbow Trouth, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Southeast Slide 2: Left: Greens MPs, Flickr, dredging Right: Martin Belam, Flickr, Dredge Slide 5: Sean Munson, Flickr, cold river Slide 9: Bureau of Land Management, Brush Creek Watershed Restoration Project, Flickr Slide 10: Chris G, Salem Town Hall, Flickr