Navigable Waters Procedures And Guidelines For Disposal Of Dredged Or Fill Material PDF Download

The Environmental Effects Lab., (WES) has prepared Interim Guidance to be used for the ecological evaluation of the proposed discharge of dredged or fill material in navigable waters according to Section 404(b) of Public Law 92-500. The Interim Guidance outlines the basic philosophy of the ecological evaluation of dredged and fill material discharges and outlines the general procedures to make this evaluation. Important in an ecological evaluation are the selection of appropriate test(s) and interpretation of results for assessment of potential problems. General approaches for technical evaluation are partitioned into physical effects, chemical-biological interactive effects, and procedures for site comparison. The Interim Guidance presents the general sequence of testing and evaluation procedures given in the Federal Register and presents detailed stepwise procedures for conducting an elutriate test, estimating a mixing zone, performing bioassays, conducting total sediment analyses, and evaluating biological community structure. These procedures contain all references and citations pertinent to the various evaluative procedures.