[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 136 (Tuesday, July 20, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38318-38319]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-15373]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

[Docket ID: USA-2021-HQ-0017]


Proposed Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army, 
Department of Defense (DoD).

ACTION: Information collection notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announces a proposed public information 
collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments 
are invited on: Whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information shall have practical utility; the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed 
information collection; ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to minimize the 
burden of the information collection on respondents, including through 
the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of 
information technology.

DATES: Consideration will be given to all comments received by 
September 20, 2021.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number and 
title, by any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail: DoD cannot receive written comments at this time due to the 
COVID-19 pandemic. Comments should be sent electronically to the docket 
listed above.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency 
name, docket number and title for this Federal Register document. The 
general policy for comments and other submissions from members of the 
public is to make these submissions available for public viewing on the 
internet at http://www.regulations.gov as they are received without 
change, including any personal identifiers or contact information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on this 
proposed information collection or to obtain a copy of the proposal and 
associated collection instruments, please write to The U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers-Sacramento District, Bountiful Utah Regulatory Field 
Office, 533 West 2600 South, Suite 150, Bountiful, Utah 84010, ATTN: 
Mr. Matthew Wilson, or call 801-295-8380.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title; Associated Form; and OMB Number: Ordinary High Water Mark 
Field Identification Datasheet; OMB Control Number 0710-XXXX.
    Needs and Uses: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, through its 
Regulatory Program, regulates certain activities in waters of the 
United States. Waters of the United States are defined under 33 CFR 
part 328. In order for the Corps to determine the amount and extent of 
waters of the United States at a site, aquatic resources must be 
geographically delineated in accordance with established Regulatory 
regulations, policy, and guidance. Non-tidal, non-wetland waters of the 
United States, which are defined in 33 CFR part 328, must be delineated 
to the extent of the ordinary high water mark (OHWM), which is defined 
at 33 CFR 328.3(7). The OHWM defines the lateral extent of non-tidal 
aquatic features in the absence of adjacent wetlands in the United 
States. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and 
Development Center (ERDC) has drafted the first national manual that 
provides and describes indicators and a methodology which will help 
improve consistency in the identification and delineation of the OHWM 
by (1) providing consistent definitions of OHWM indicators; (2) 
outlining a clear, step-by-step process for identifying the OHWM using 
a Weight-of-Evidence approach; and (3) providing a datasheet for 
logging information at a site. Information collected on OHWM datasheets 
help inform the lateral limits of the Corps' jurisdiction in non-tidal, 
non-wetland aquatic resources (e.g., streams or rivers). This 
information can then be used to inform jurisdictional determinations or 
permit evaluations. Applicants for Corps permits are generally required 
to submit delineations of aquatic resources as part of their permit 
application or in support of the permit evaluation process. The OHWM 
form will provide applicants with a tool to easily document and submit 
this information in a consistent format.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Annual Burden Hours: 7500.17.
    Number of Respondents: 45,001.
    Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Annual Responses: 45,001.
    Average Burden per Response: 10 minutes.
    Frequency: As Required.
    The OHWM is identified through physical characteristics that 
correspond

[[Page 38319]]

to a break in bank slope, transition in vegetation type and coverage, 
and changes in sediment characteristics. As such, the datasheet 
organizes OHWM indicators into four categories: Geomorphic indicators, 
vegetation indicators, sediment indicators, and ancillary indicators. 
Recognizing that streams are highly complex systems, space is provided 
to include additional indicators that may be particular to certain 
regions or channel types. The datasheet and field procedure guide users 
through the step-by-step process of identifying and documenting the 
OHWM in a more consistent, reliable, and repeatable manner. The OHWM 
form organizes the information into a logical and consistent format, 
and makes use of checkboxes and data entry prompts to ensure all of the 
necessary information to document the OHWM is provided as necessary in 
a manner that minimizes data entry for respondents.

    Dated: July 14, 2021.
Aaron T. Siegel,
Alternate OSD Federal Register Liaison Officer, Department of Defense.
[FR Doc. 2021-15373 Filed 7-19-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P