Wetlands are important environmental and cultural resources. From the federal Clean Water Act to local planning boards and commissions, wetlands are subject to intersecting jurisdictions and legal protections. When development, whether it be public, private, residential, or industrial, encroaches on or requires infill of wetlands, it is important to undertake Idaho Falls wetland assessments before acquiring a property to avoid potential legal issues that could bring a project to a halt, costing potentially millions of dollars.
Rocky Mountain Environmental Associates Inc. is a wetland services Idaho Falls consulting firm with twenty years of experience in wetland assessments and delineations throughout the Intermountain West including Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. This highly skilled team of geologists, hydrologists, hydrogeologists, and water rights analysts understand the myriad of environmental and legal issues for land use planning when it comes to wetlands. With population growth in the Idaho Falls area, and the development that comes with growth, Rocky Mountain Environmental Associates Inc. is the most trusted and dependable consulting firm for Idaho Falls wetland assessments and delineations.
The staff uses United States Geological Society methods to evaluate the environmental and cultural importance of wetlands, including the Wetland Evaluation Technique, Environmental Monitoring Assessment, and Hydrogeomorphic Approach. The methods assess the biological, chemical, and physical functions of wetlands as well as the habitat potential and social significance. Assessments measure groundwater recharge and discharge, which relate to water rights and flood potential for downstream properties. Sediment retention and stabilization are quantified in order to allow developers to plan their project to reduce potential erosion and environmental degradation. Evaluation of flow alteration from the proposed development addresses flooding potential. Assessments measure nutrient removal and chemical transformation, as well as toxicant removal, to provide a picture of the environmental services the wetland provides that have economic significance. The ability of a wetland to support wildlife diversity and abundance, including aquatic ecological systems, is evaluated to comply with the Endangered Species Act. Idaho Falls wetland assessments also evaluate the recreation opportunities along with the heritage of the site to inform land use planners for potential human uses of the wetland for both residents of Idaho Falls and tourism.
A premier wetland services Idaho Falls consulting firm, Rocky Mountain Environmental Associates Inc. works for the community where they are based. Staff analyzes wetland assessments in concert with water rights, laws, and overlying jurisdictions to give developers the information needed to evaluate potential projects.