Ecological Evaluation Technical Guidance - State of New Jersey

the process of understanding the extent of a wetlands as part of identifyingESNRs, it may be necessary to define the boundary of the wetlands from aregulatory standpoint through a process known as wetlands delineation. TheFreshwater Wetlands Protection Act requires that freshwater wetlands beidentified or delineated in New Jersey using the three-parameter approach asdescribed in the Federal Interagency Committee for Wetland Delineation (1989).Such an approach dictates that areas meeting the defined criteria of vegetation,soils, and hydrology will be designated as jurisdictional wetlands.For vegetation, the criterion is more than 50 percent of the composition of thedominant species from all strata should be categorized as hydrophytic or adaptedto living in saturated areas. That is, the plant species should be classified asobligate, facultative wetland or facultative as defined in the "National List ofPlant Species That Occur in Wetlands," published by the United States Fish &Wildlife Service (USFWS, 1988). Soils are considered hydric if they meet thecriteria defined by the National Technical Committee for Hydric Soils.Hydrology should be present to effect either permanent or periodic saturation ofthe soil. The Federal Interagency Committee for Wetland Delineation (1989)does allow an assumption that the hydrologic parameter is present if hydric soilsand hydrophytic vegetation are present and field indications of hydrology arepresent.Wetland delineation involves the determination of the boundary between the areaswhere the three hydric parameters are present and where they are not. Usingperceived changes in elevation and vegetation as a guide, representativeobservation points are selected along the apparent boundary of the wetland areas.At each of the observation points, soil borings are made to determine soil andhydrologic conditions. Observations of floral species and surface hydrologicconditions are also made. Observations would be made on both the wetland andupland side. The boundary would then be located between the two.From a regulatory standpoint, wetland boundaries must be confirmed through theNJDEP Division of Land Use Regulation through the Letter of Interpretation(LOI) process as is outlined at N.J.A.C. 7:7A-3.The concern with conducting ERAs in wetland environments is that wetlandscontain receptors that can be typical of upland and aquatic environments, andthose that may be specific only to wetlands. Wetland media may act as soil,sediment or both depending on the type of wetland and season. Refer to Section5.4.3 for additional guidance on whether to use soil ESC or sediment ESC.Additionally, exposure pathways not normally seen in upland settings or in solelyaquatic settings may have to be considered (e.g., groundwater exposure toshallow-rooted plants).In designing ERAs for wetlands, the investigator should bear in mind that one ofthe major benefits to the environment and to society are the ecological functionsthat the wetlands perform. In addition to an understanding of ecotoxicologicalimpacts, the risk assessment should consider whether the COPECs beingevaluated have impacted the functional capabilities of the wetlands. ThisEcological Evaluation Technical Guidance Document 69Version 1.2 8/29/12