Get permit to dam stream

In John Craig’s April 17 article about environmental issues at the Hutterian community near Airway Heights, he wrote, correctly, that: “State law allows creeks to be dammed without a reservoir (dam safety) permit, but only if the dam is no more than 10 feet tall and impounds no more than 10 acre-feet of water.”

To clarify, it is true that the reservoir permit is not required, but several other permits are. Damming creeks changes drastically the ecology of a creek and its adjacent land. It can impede fish travel, drown important habitat and increase flooding potential.

So I wouldn’t want anyone to think that it’s easy to dam a creek. You’d need a Hydraulic Permit from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife if the project might affect fish. You would also need a Federal Clean Water Act Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a Section 401 Water Quality Certification from the Department of Ecology if the project is in a tributary to a major body of water (such as Deep Creek).

You’ll need a Construction Stormwater Permit from Ecology if the project disturbs greater than one acre. Finally, you will need a Clearing and Grading Permit and probably a Critical Areas Review by the local city or county government.

Jani Gilbert

Washington Department of Ecology

Spokane