The State Water Resources Control Board today released a Preliminary Draft Wetland Area Protection Policy (Policy). The Policy release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute the initiation of a formal notice and comment period on a draft policy for water quality control. To date, the Policy development effort has included input from the general public, numerous stakeholder groups, local, state and federal agencies, tribal government representatives, and technical experts. A formal notice and comment period is expected to commence with the release of the draft policy for water quality control with an environmental review document later this year. This preliminary draft Policy includes four elements: (1) a wetland definition; (2) a wetland delineation method; (3) a wetland assessment and monitoring framework; and (4) authorization procedures for dredge and fill discharges to waters of the state. In the interests of governmental transparency, we are posting the Policy at this time to provide an opportunity for early review.
