Most subdivision/land development activities in Pennsylvania water courses, water bodies or wetlands require some type of authorization or permit from DEP. Many of these projects qualify for a simple general permit if they are designed and constructed in accordance with the criteria in the General Permit. Most projects also require federal authorization that is usually granted in the form of a Pennsylvania State Programmatic General Permit (PASPGP-3). In most instances, the PASPGP-3 is issued in conjunction with approved Chapter 105 water obstruction and encroachment permits, by the DEP.

D.L. Howell and Associates is equipped to fully service all aspects of your wetland delineation needs, from site investigations and delineations utilizing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual, to wetland surveying, and through to project permitting. From small individual lots; to large properties, D.L. Howell and Associates, Inc. has the experience to effectively and efficiently delineate wetlands to meet your projects needs. Our staff has received wetland certification of training through the Institute for Wetland and Environmental Education and Research.

Specific environmental regulations apply to most activities that affect wetlands or activities within close proximity to wetlands and as a result, D.L. Howell and Associates, Inc. recommends that wetland delineations are completed as early in the project planning stages as possible in order to account for Federal, state, and/or local wetland regulatory programs.

Wetland Surveys

After delineating the wetlands, the flags are located using the most efficient and expedient methods such as two man field crew utilizing total station instrumentation, one-man crew and robotic total station, or GPS – real time kinematic survey methods. No matter what methods are used the point locations are stored on a hand held data collector allowing for easy data transfer between field and office. With this information integrated into the base plan of the site well informed decisions concerning the project can be made.