Effects of section 404 permitting on freshwater wetlands in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi

Abstract

Information was complied on permits issued under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act for alteration of freshwater wetlands from January 1982-August 1987 in Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. The location, area, wetland type, and other data describing the impacted and compensatory (i.e., created, restored, and preserved) wetlands were compiled and analyzed. Trends in Louisiana, the state with the most permits issued, were emphasized, and a synopsis of the results from Alabama and Mississippi is presented for comparison. The objective of the study was to uncover patterns and trends in Section 404 permitting in the three states to document the effects of the permit decisions. Only the information contained in the permit record was compiled and analyzed. No judgment was made concerning compliance with the terms of the permits or whether the compensatory wetland replaced the ecological functions of the wetland destroyed. Neither could be determined from the permit record. In Louisiana, 226 permits were issued, resulting in a potential loss of over 10,000 hectares of primarily forested wetlands. Compensatory mitigation was required in 93 permits (41%); however, only 8% of the total area impacted by all permits issued was compensated. Over 50% of the wetlands impacted were less than or equal to 4 hectares in size. Permitted activities occurred throughout Louisiana, but the majority were located along the Gulf coast and the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers. Food chain support and wildlife habitat were the most commonly listed impacted functions in the permit record. Specific objectives for the mitigation projects were not documented. Only 10% of the compensatory wetlands were monitored by at least one site visit. The Section 404 permitting program could be evaluated more effectively if record-keeping was standardized. The accuracy and thoroughness of this report was affected by poor record-keeping and inconcise permit language. Requirements for follow-up monitoring and increasing the specificity of the information contained in the permits would provide information on the impacts to wetlands and their functions to be considered in future permit decisions.