1. January 14, 2016
Approval of a Coastal, Piedmont and Mountain Region for Purposes of Regulating Isolated Wetlands Karen Higgins, Division of Water Resources

2. Wetland Types 404 Wetlands Isolated Wetlands Coastal (CAMA) Wetlands
Regulated under Section 404 of the federal Clean Water Act
Isolated Wetlands
Wetlands not regulated under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act
Coastal (CAMA) Wetlands
Regulated under the Coastal Area Management Act

3. Isolated Wetlands

4. Isolated Wetlands Permitting
An Isolated Wetlands Permit (IWP) is required when a proposed project involves impacts to wetlands or waters that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determines are not jurisdictional under Section 404 of the CWA
Headwater wetland
Section 404 or
Section 10 waters
Isolated Wetland
Department of Environmental Quality

5. How many Isolated Wetland Permits?
211 IWPs issued since 2001 (vs. 18,911 WQCs) 1 6 8 2 7 16 3 5 15 37 14 12 4 10
Department of Environmental Quality

6. SL 2015-286 Session Law (SL) 2015-286 directs the EMC to establish a
Coastal Region
Piedmont Region
Mountain Region
for purposes of regulating impacts to isolated wetlands under 15A NCAC 02H .1305(d)(2)
Department of Environmental Quality

7. How to determine regions?

8. Selected Reference
Daniels, RB, SW Buol, HJ Kleiss, CA Ditzler Soil systems in North Carolina. Technical Bulletin 314, Soil Science Department, NC State University
Department of Environmental Quality

9. Soil Systems Map – North Carolina
Department of Environmental Quality

10. Soil Systems Map – North Carolina
Department of Environmental Quality

11. Soil Systems Map – North Carolina
Department of Environmental Quality

12. Site-Specific Evaluations
When a landowner believes their property is not in the correct region, they may have a soil scientist conduct a site-specific evaluation to determine the soil series.
Soil scientist shall be currently licensed or authorized to practice soil science under G.S. 89F
Soil series that occur in NC have been categorized by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the USDA

13. Which Counties Are Effected?

14. Next Steps
EMC establishes a Coastal Region, Piedmont Region and Mountain Region
DWR will update the General Permit (IWGP100000)
Incorporate the Coastal Region, Piedmont Region and Mountain Region
Incorporate site-specific evaluation to determine the soil series
The regions and site-specific evaluation will be codified into rule during the H74 (SL ) rule revision process that is currently ongoing

15. EMC Request
DWR requests approval of the Coastal Region, Piedmont Region and Mountain Region, which includes the site-specific evaluation process:
“Coastal Region” includes Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Tyrrell, Washington, Wayne, and Wilson Counties.
“Piedmont Region” includes Alamance, Alexander, Anson, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Cleveland, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Granville, Guilford, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Orange, Person, Polk, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Wilkes, and Yadkin Counties.
“Mountain Region” includes Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey Counties.

16. Questions?
Department of Environmental Quality