General Permit Research Articles

Maps of Charlotte County General Permit Trafficshed Channels and Secondary Channels

This 33-page collection of maps depicts channels included in the Charlotte County General Permit (GP). Each map shows either channel segments within a GP trafficshed or segments in a GP secondary channel system. Written by Robert A. Swett, David A. Fann, and Elizabeth Staugler, and published on EDIS by Florida Sea Grant, July 2014.

Large‐Scale Performance and Design for Construction Activity Erosion Control Best Management Practices

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II requires construction activities to have erosion and sediment control best management practices (BMPs) designed and installed for site storm water management. Although BMPs are specified on storm water pollution prevention plans (SWPPPs) as part of the construction general permit (GP), there is little evidence in the research literature as to how BMPs perform or should be designed. The objectives of this study were to: (i) comparatively evaluate the performance of common construction activity erosion control BMPs under a standardized test method, (ii) evaluate the performance of compost erosion control blanket thickness, (iii) evaluate the performance of compost erosion control blankets (CECBs) on a variety of slope angles, and (iv) determine Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) cover management factors (C factors) for these BMPs to assist site designers and engineers. Twenty-three erosion control BMPs were evaluated using American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) D-6459, standard test method for determination of ECB performance in protecting hill slopes from rainfall induced erosion, on 4:1 (H:V), 3:1, and 2:1 slopes. Soil loss reduction for treatments exposed to 5 cm of rainfall on a 2:1 slope ranged from-7 to 99%. For rainfall exposure of 10 cm, treatment soil loss reduction ranged from 8 to 99%. The 2.5 and 5 cm CECBs significantly reduced erosion on slopes up to 2:1, while CECBs < 2.5 cm are not recommended on slopes >or= 4:1 when rainfall totals reach 5 cm. Based on the soil loss results, USLE C factors ranged from 0.01 to 0.9. These performance and design criteria should aid site planners and designers in decision-making processes.

Conflict Resolution in Water Resources: Two 404 General Permits

The use of alternative dispute resolution techniques in water resources is demonstrated and experience evaluated against current theory of bargaining and negotiating. Conflicts among environmentalists, developers, and government agencies are well known; they involve planning, constructing, operating, and regulating water resources projects. Two Section 404 permit cases are compared. One in 1980, involves issuing a general permit (GP) for wetland fill on Sanibel Island, Florida. The other, in 1987, involves issuing a GP for hydrocarbon exploration drilling throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. Generally, permits are granted on a case‐by‐case basis, but Corps district engineers may also issue GPs for activities that produce no negative cumulative impacts. In these cases the Corps adopted a revolutionary approach to GPs. Rather than writing the permit in house, the Corps suggested that the parties who conflict over permit applications get together and write the technical specifications for a GP. The Corps to...