The USACE Los Angeles District has reissued Regional General Permit No. 74, which authorizes discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States associated with maintenance activities in the San Diego Creek Watershed and San Juan Creek/Western San Mateo Creek Watershed Special Area Management Plan areas.
RGP 74 authorizes temporary impacts to up to ½ acre of jurisdictional waters of the United States in eligible areas, no more than ⅟₁₀ acre of which may be vegetated with native riparian and/or wetland vegetation.
No permanent impacts to waters of the United States, including impacts from fills, flooding, excavation beyond a Corps Regulatory Division-approved maintenance baseline, or drainage are permitted under RGP 74.
Areas eligible for the use of RGP 74 are limited to jurisdictional waters located outside of sensitive aquatic resources identified as SAMP aquatic resource integrity areas.
The San Diego Creek Watershed SAMP area includes portions of the cities of Santa Ana, Orange, Tustin, Laguna Hills, Newport Beach, Irvine, Lake Forest, Laguna Woods, and unincorporated areas of Orange County.
The San Juan Creek/Western San Mateo Creek Watershed SAMP area includes portions of the cities of Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point, and Laguna, and unincorporated areas of Orange County.