Wetlands

Soil types tend to attract lawyers and consultants when local governments classify them as unfit for development. 

The Alaska DOT wants a Rapid Wetlands Functional Assessment method that can be used on linear projects in the state. Currently, Alaska does not have a standardized rapid wetlands functional assessment method.

If you happened to be in San Diego at the 2004 NSCSS meeting, you might remember our lunchtime speaker discussing the resurrection of wetlands in Iraq. Azzam Al-Wash could not attend but sent his research team over to present the talk. A segment on this week's 60 Minutes featured his work and shows a good amount of background and visuals of conditions from the 70s to now. The effort appears to be successful and I encourage you to watch the video.

Develop Your Skills in Wetland Delineation

Andy Kleinschmidt has started to live stream some of his field consulting work, posting to qik.com.

Many of the soils in Southcentral Alaska, west of Cook Inlet, are derived from volcanic ash parent material. Development projects in the region will rely upon wetland delineation for permitting, but evidence of observed soil characteristics that meet the regulatory standards for wetland soils (those with anaerobic conditions) may not be readily measurable or observable in soils of volcanic ash-derived parent material. These soils, when saturated, frequently present few or no observable hydric soil features as described in the USACE Alaska Supplement of the Wetland Delineation Manual.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is seeking proposals to provide technical assistance pertaining to soil science, hydrology, engineering, fluvial and hillslope geomorphology, wetland science, and botany. Those selected would be contracted through a 2 year master services agreement, from which task orders would be issued on an as needed basis.

Water rights are traditionally states rights, with federal control over harbors and deeper water necessary to commerce. To protect water quality we had the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948.

Legislation from 2007 to restore the scope of the Clean Water Act (CWA) has been reintroduced, and it appears to have a good chance for passage. The CWA was narrowed by court rulings and recent federal guidance. The Clean Water Restoration Act (S. 787) would return CWA jurisdiction to intermittent streams and isolated wetlands.

Accordng to a Press Release from Sen. Feingold, the sponsor:

Our state certification bill (SSB 5698) for soil scientists and wetland scientists is now scheduled for a hearing in the House Commerce and Labor Committee at 10 am on Tuesday March 24th. Please notify interested parties, and encourage them to email our sponsors or committee members (provided below) with words of support prior to the hearing.

2,2' Dipyridyl indicator dye (CAS # 366-18-7) is a relatively inexpensive tool for confirming reduced conditions in saturated soil.

Washington State will have a Senate Labor, Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee hearing next Thursday Feb 12th at 3:30 in a continuing effort to attain a state-level certification program for both soil scientists and wetland scientists (soilscientistlicensing.com).

Mirrored from the NSCSS Job Opportunities page.

Job Opportunities

These are in the private sector and make specific mention related to soil science. They are current in that they get pulled when the job closes or the link disappears.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army are issuing revised guidance to ensure America's wetlands, streams and other waters are better protected under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The guidance clarifies the geographic scope of jurisdiction under the CWA. [EPA News Release – December 3, 2008]

Ninyo & Moore Geotechnical and Environmental Sciences Consultants has an immediate opening for an experienced Senior Staff Environmental Scientist.

Job Description: