ClearWater Environmental has successfully prepared numerous Environmental Assessment and Categorical Exclusions for North Carolina State Agency (SEPA) and Federal Agency (NEPA) Environmental Assessments (EA) while working with different lead agency’s including the EPA, Bureau of Indian Affairs, NCDOT, and NCDENR.
Wetlands Environmental Permitting & Planning Services
Wetlands Environmental Permitting & Planning Services, including Wetlands Delineation, Environmental Permitting, Development Planning and Consulting, Habitat Assessments, Wetlands Mitigation, Planning and Implementation, Threatened and Endangered Species, Surveys and Assessments, NEPA/SEPA Environmental Assessments, Water Quality Sampling, GPS Sub-meter Mapping, Stream Mitigation
Wetlands-Stream Delineation
ClearWater Environmental has conducted wetland and stream delineations including GPS mapping of these features on over 100,000 acres in North Carolina. Our delineation and subsequent verification with the Corps of Engineers are a key part of successful land development planning.
Section 404/401 Permitting
Regulatory Compliance and Clean Water Act Section 404 and 401 Permitting of the required for the discharge of fill material into streams, wetlands and open waters.
Wetlands-Stream Mitigation
ClearWater Environmental conducts wetlands and Stream Mitigation Planning and Implementation as required to replace the loss of wetland and stream function and values. Compensatory mitigation is defined as the restoration, creation, enhancement, or in exceptional cases preservation of wetlands and/or other aquatic resources for the purpose of compensating for unavoidable impacts.
The Mitigation Sequence
- Avoid – Adverse impacts to aquatic resources are to be avoided and no discharge shall be permitted if there is a practicable alternative with less adverse impact.
- Minimize – If impacts cannot be avoided, appropriate and practicable steps to minimize adverse impacts must be taken.
- Compensate – Appropriate and practicable compensatory mitigation is required for unavoidable adverse impacts which remain. The amount and quality of compensatory mitigation may not substitute for avoiding and minimizing impacts.
Endangered & Threatened Species Surveys
- Protected Species Assessments and Monitoring
- Habitat Conservation Plans
- Protected Plant Surveys and Relocations
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Section 7 and Section 10 Consultations
- GIS/GPS Mapping
Water Quality Sampling & Monitoring
ClearWater Environmental collects and measures of a variety of Water Quality Data
Water Quality Monitoring
- Chemical sampling such as dissolved oxygen, nutrients, pH, or metals
- Physical sampling such as temperature, turbidity, or conductivity
- Reporting water quality trends over time
Macrobenthos Sampling
- Bug collection and analysis
- Measuring abundance and variety of aquatic insects
Mitigation Banking
Wash Creek Mitigation Bank
Laurel Park, NC
ClearWater provided consulting services for a new stream mitigation bank in Laurel Park, Henderson County, NC. The mitigation bank provides credits in the Upper French Broad River Basin (06010105). Construction is complete and the restored stream has already withstood two bankfull events while functioning well.
Wash Creek Stream Bank
Stream Credits Available Now – Contact Clement Riddle at (828) 698-9800
