The bill removes protection of the following types of wetlands, lakes, and streams. These wetlands, lakes, and streams will be able to be filled, dredged, constructed on, etc. without any type of permitting process.
- Wetlands between 5 to 10 acres. This is approximately 70,000 wetlands totaling approximately 500,000 acres.
- Wetlands that are connected to waterbodies through a non-continuous connection.
- Wetlands contiguous to ponds.
- Artificially flooded wetlands (e.g., managed wetlands like Maple River Flooding).
- Wetlands that are essential to the preservation of the state (e.g., small non-contiguous wetlands with threatened and endangered species).
- Uses within wetlands (e.g., maintained utility corridors or golf course fairways in wetlands, the storing and treating stormwater from parking lots and roadways in wetlands).
- Lakes between 5 to 10 acres and the wetlands contiguous to them. This is approximately 3,771 of the 11,000 lakes in Michigan.
- Artificially irrigated and flooded lakes and streams and the wetlands contiguous to them, including approximately 2,610 impoundment lakes. (e.g. Maple Lake, Wixom Lake)
- Artificial lakes and ponds and non-permanent artificial streams, and the wetlands contiguous to them.
- Any stream that does not meet the definition of a “Water of the United States” and the wetlands contiguous to them.
- Ephemeral features that have a bank, bed and evidence of flow, and the wetlands contiguous to them.
