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regulatory agencies. c) Under the Clean Water Act(CWA)Section 404 and regulations administered by the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers(Corps),a wetland is defined as being an area that is" ...inundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support,and that under normal circumstances do support,a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions."By the Corps definition,three defining conditions or criterion must be present to define an area as a wetland— hydrology, soil,and hydrophytic vegetation. Such habitat conditions do not occur on the site,however, the project's open-water habitat is considered to be a"water of the United States". CWA Section 404 establishes programs to regulate the discharge of dredged and fill material into waters of the United States,including wetlands. Responsibility for administering and enforcing Section 404 is shared by the Corps and U.S.Environmental Protection Agency(EPA). The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission(BCDC)recognizes four types of fill; floating fill,submerged fill,pile-supported fill,and earth fill. The fill associated with the Project structures would be floating and pile-supported. The estimated Bay fill quantity for the gangway, floating dock,and two new piles are: Type of New Fill Area or Volume Floating Fill Gangway 320 square feet Dock 800 square feet Pile-Supported Fill Pilings(2)to Mudline - 108 cubic feet. The quantity of Bay fill that would be removed is: Type of Fill to Be Removed Area or Volume Floating Fill Gangway 60 square feet Dock 180 square feet Pier 246 square feet Pile-Supported Fill Pilings(8)to Mudline 972 cubic feet. The total net fill is estimated as 634 square feet of floating fill and(864-reduction)of pile supported fill. Fill projects must be approved by the Corps,BCDC,and the RWQCB. Such placement of fill is the minimum required to achieve Project purposes and is not anticipated to result in adverse impacts to marine biological resources. d) Potential project effects on migratory fish are discussed in Section(a)above. Some short-term impacts on aquatic plants,algae and other phytoplankton,aquatic animals,and benthic organisms may occur during the removal of existing piles.The major negative effects of the project would include: • Short-term,temporary turbidity; • Temporary reduction in dissolved oxygen levels; • Burial of bottom-dwelling organisms; • Disruption and removal of bottom sediments;and • Alteration of benthic community characteristics. All displaced benthic organisms are expected to recolonize after pier demolition.The effects on water Port of Redwood City Multi-Agency Maritime Facility 21 February 2010 Initial Study