Wetland Ecology Group
 

Background

The Wetland Ecology Group performs wetland research with the goal of developing wetland biocriteria and wetland water quality standards for Ohio. Funded largely by USEPA grants awarded to assist states with the development of water quality standards for wetlands, the Wetland Ecology Group's work will aid and strengthen the basis for regulatory decisions made by the 401 Water Quality Certification Section.

• Ohio Wetlands Fact Sheet [PDF 43K]

The responsibilities of the Wetland Ecology Group include:

• Wetland research
• Wetland bioassessment
• Wetland biocriteria development

See below for contacts and links.

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DSW Wetland Ecologist

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Training Offered

Posted February 27, 2012

ORAM Training is Offered for 2012

Ohio EPA's Wetland Ecology Group will be conducting two Ohio Rapid Assessment Method for Wetlands Version 5.0 (ORAM) training courses in the spring of 2012.  The first training session will be on May 15-16 and the second will be on May 22-23.  The first day of each session will be classroom instruction and the second day will be field exercises.

The classroom sessions will be held at the Ohio EPA Field Facility in Groveport, Ohio.  The field exercises will occur at selected wetlands in the central Ohio area.  The classroom days will begin at 9:00 AM and end at 4:00 PM.  The field days will start at 8:30 AM and end st 4:00 PM.  Participants will need to bring field clothes, waterproof knee boots, a compass, rain gear, and a clip board.  Additional information on course logistics will be sent to registrants.

Each course will be limited to 30 participants.  ORAM courses fill quickly so early registration is highly recommended.  Due to the anticipated high demand for these classes, Ohio EPA reserves the right to limit the number of participants from each organization to 1-2.  Pearl Cason should be contacted, pearl.cason@epa.state.oh.us or 614-836-8800, for registration questions.  Please fill out the registration form below and return it via email to pearl.cason@epa.state.oh.us.

• Registration Form [PDF 8K]
• Directions to Ohio EPA Field Office

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Ohio Rapid Assessment Method for Wetlands (ORAM) Documents

In an effort to be efficient in making and approving wetland category assignments, Ohio EPA has compiled a ten page Ohio Rapid Assessment Method for Wetlands Version 5.0 (ORAM) form. If filled out completely the ORAM form will assure we have all information needed for approving wetland category assignments. The ten page ORAM form below should be submitted for all wetland characterizations associated with Nationwide Permit, Isolated Wetland Permit and Section 401 Water Quality Certification applications. One form (all 10 pages) should be filled out completely for each wetland the ORAM protocols identify as an individual scoring boundary. See Section 5.0 of the ORAM Version 5.0 Users Manual and page 3 of 10 of the ORAM form below for scoring boundary protocols and the Scoring Boundary Worksheet, respectively. For applications with multiple wetlands, as determined by the ORAM protocols, it is permissible to use duplicates for the location maps or drawings and sketches required to complete Pages 1 and 2 of the ORAM form. However, Pages 1 and 2 of each form must include all information for the wetland being assessed.

When several wetlands on a site are uniform in size and other characteristics (wetland type, buffer widths, surrounding land uses, hydrology sources, hydrologic regime and level of intactness, habitat quality and level of intactness, plant community composition, maturity, quality and microtopographic features), it is possible to use one ORAM form and have the assessment apply to all of the similar wetlands. When this is the case, the rationale for using one ORAM form should be well documented in the Comments box on Page 2 of the ORAM form. The appropriateness of using one ORAM form for multiple assessments will be at the sole discretion of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.

Applications must include submittal of the ten page ORAM form below for each wetland, or the application will be returned as incomplete.

• Ten page Version 5.0 ORAM form (2-1-01) [PDF 150K]
• Version 5.0 ORAM Users Manual (2-1-01) [PDF 1,321K]
• Version 5.0 ORAM Score Calibration (8-15-00) [PDF 427K]

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Links to Related Sites

Ohio EPA sites

DSW 401 Water Quality Certification page (also covers isolated wetland permits)
http://www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/401/index.aspx

DSW Laws and Rules page
http://www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/rules/index.aspx

Ohio Water Resource Inventories page
http://www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/document_index/305b.html

Non-Ohio EPA sites

Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. Section 1341)
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/33/1341.html

Ohio isolated wetlands permitting bill (Ohio House Bill 231 of the 124th General Assembly)
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=124_HB_231

Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Wetlands page
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/dnap/wetlands/tabid/998/Default.aspx

U.S. EPA, Wetlands page
http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/

Ohio EPA contributed wetlands case studies information to U.S. EPAs BAWWG (Biological Assessment for Wetlands Workgroup) Web page. Included are a photo tour of Ohio wetlands and a photo tour of Ohio wetland plants.

National Wetlands Mitigation Action Plan page
http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/wetlands/wetlandsmitigation_index.cfm#plan

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