Bill Text: MI HB5043 | 2015-2016 | 98th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Natural resources; inland lakes; installation of stream gauges; exempt from permit requirement. Amends sec. 30103 of 1994 PA 451 (MCL 324.30103).

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 27-3)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-05-10 - Referred To Second Reading [HB5043 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2015-HB5043-Introduced.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL No. 5043

November 3, 2015, Introduced by Reps. Driskell, Kivela, LaVoy, Pagan, Townsend, Sarah Roberts, Wittenberg, Hoadley, Rutledge, Hovey-Wright, Zemke, Yanez, Dianda, Greig, Cochran, Byrd, Liberati, Plawecki, Smiley, Brunner, Greimel, Schor, Brinks, Lane, Irwin, Love, Heise, Jenkins, Kesto and Faris and referred to the Committee on Natural Resources.

 

     A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled

 

"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"

 

by amending section 30103 (MCL 324.30103), as amended by 2014 PA

 

253.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 30103. (1) A permit is not required under this part for

 

any of the following:

 

     (a) Any fill or structure existing before April 1, 1966, in

 

waters covered by former 1965 PA 291, and any fill or structures

 

existing before January 9, 1973, in waters covered for the first

 

time by former 1972 PA 346.

 

     (b) A seasonal structure placed on bottomland to facilitate

 

private noncommercial recreational use of the water if it does not

 

unreasonably interfere with the use of the water by others entitled

 


to use the water or interfere with water flow.

 

     (c) Reasonable sanding of beaches to the existing water's edge

 

by the riparian owner or a person authorized by the riparian owner.

 

     (d) Maintenance of an agricultural drain, regardless of

 

outlet, if all of the following requirements are met:

 

     (i) The maintenance includes only activities that maintain the

 

location, depth, and bottom width of the drain as constructed or

 

modified at any time before July 1, 2014.

 

     (ii) The maintenance is performed by the landowner or pursuant

 

to the drain code of 1956, 1956 PA 40, MCL 280.1 to 280.630.

 

     (e) A waste collection or treatment facility that is ordered

 

to be constructed or is approved for construction under state or

 

federal water pollution control law, if constructed in upland.

 

     (f) Construction and maintenance of minor drainage structures

 

and facilities which are identified by rule promulgated by the

 

department pursuant to section 30110. Before such a rule is

 

promulgated, the rule shall be approved by the majority of a

 

committee consisting of the director of the department, the

 

director of the department of agriculture and rural development,

 

and the director of the state transportation department or their

 

designated representatives. The rules shall be reviewed at least

 

annually.

 

     (g) Maintenance of a drain that either was legally established

 

and constructed before January 1, 1973, pursuant to the drain code

 

of 1956, 1956 PA 40, MCL 280.1 to 280.630, except those legally

 

established drains constituting mainstream portions of certain

 

natural watercourses identified in rules promulgated by the

 


department under section 30110, or was constructed or modified

 

under a permit issued pursuant to this part. As used in this

 

subdivision, "maintenance of a drain" means the physical

 

preservation of the location, depth, and bottom width of a drain

 

and appurtenant structures to restore the function and approximate

 

capacity of the drain as constructed or modified at any time before

 

July 1, 2014, and includes, but is not limited to, the following

 

activities if performed with best management practices:

 

     (i) Excavation of accumulated sediments back to original

 

contours.

 

     (ii) Reshaping of the side slopes.

 

     (iii) Bank stabilization where reasonably necessary to prevent

 

erosion. Materials used for stabilization must be compatible with

 

existing bank or bed materials.

 

     (iv) Armoring, lining, or piping if a previously armored,

 

lined, or piped section is being repaired and all work occurs

 

within the footprint of the previous work.

 

     (v) Replacement of existing control structures, if the

 

original function of the drain is not changed and the original

 

approximate capacity of the drain is not increased.

 

     (vi) Repair of stabilization structures.

 

     (vii) Culvert replacement, including culvert extensions of not

 

more than 24 additional feet per culvert.

 

     (viii) Emergency reconstruction of recently damaged parts of

 

the drain. Emergency reconstruction must occur within a reasonable

 

period of time after damage occurs in order to qualify for this

 

exemption.

 


     (h) Projects constructed under the watershed protection and

 

flood prevention act, chapter 656, 68 Stat. 666, 16 USC 1001 to

 

1008, 1010, and 1011.

 

     (i) Construction and maintenance of privately owned cooling or

 

storage ponds used in connection with a public utility except at

 

the interface with public waters.

 

     (j) Maintenance of a structure constructed under a permit

 

issued pursuant to this part and identified by rule promulgated

 

under section 30110, if the maintenance is in place and in kind

 

with no design or materials modification.

 

     (k) A water withdrawal.

 

     (l) Annual installation of a seasonal dock or docks, pilings,

 

mooring buoys, or other mooring structures previously authorized by

 

and in accordance with a permit issued under this part.

 

     (m) Controlled access of livestock to streams for watering or

 

crossing if constructed in accordance with applicable practice

 

standards set by the United States department of agriculture,

 

natural resources conservation service.Department of Agriculture,

 

Natural Resources Conservation Service.

 

     (n) Temporary drawdowns of impoundments at hydroelectric

 

projects licensed by the federal energy regulatory commission

 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and subject to FERC's

 

authority if both of the following apply:

 

     (i) The FERC licensee has consulted this state during the

 

drawdown plan development and this state's concerns have been

 

addressed in the drawdown plan as FERC considers appropriate.

 

     (ii) Adverse environmental impacts, including stream flow,

 


aquatic resources, and timing, have been avoided and minimized to

 

the extent practical.

 

     (o) Removal, by the riparian owner or a person authorized by

 

the riparian owner, of plants that are an aquatic nuisance as

 

defined in section 3301, if the removal is accomplished by hand-

 

pulling without using a powered or mechanized tool and all plant

 

fragments are removed from the water and properly disposed of on

 

land above the ordinary high-water mark as defined in section

 

30101.

 

     (p) Raking of lake bottomlands by the riparian owner or a

 

person authorized by the riparian owner. To minimize effects on the

 

lake bottomlands, the areas raked shall be unvegetated before

 

raking and predominantly composed of sand or pebbles, and the

 

raking shall be performed without using a powered or mechanized

 

tool. For the purposes of this subdivision, the pulling of a

 

nonpowered, nonmechanized tool with a boat is not the use of a

 

powered or mechanized tool.

 

     (q) Installing stream gauges or other equipment designed to

 

measure water levels in inland lakes and streams.

 

     (2) As used in this section, "water withdrawal" means the

 

removal of water from its source for any purpose.

 

     (3) As used in this part, "agricultural drain" means a human-

 

made conveyance of water that meets all of the following

 

requirements:

 

     (a) Does not have continuous flow.

 

     (b) Flows primarily as a result of precipitation-induced

 

surface runoff or groundwater drained through subsurface drainage

 


systems.

 

     (c) Serves agricultural production.

 

     (d) Was constructed before January 1, 1973, or was constructed

 

in compliance with this part or former 1979 PA 203.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days

 

after the date it is enacted into law.

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