EAGLE POINT, OR, Aug. 28, 2009 -- Robert and Marilyn Malloy must remove unauthorized fill material they placed along the bank of the Rogue River at their property in Eagle Point, Ore., according to a compliance order issued by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Rogue River is an important salmon-bearing river that supports a significant recreational fishing industry.
"The onus is on property owners to do their research and read the regulations," said Tony Barber, EPA's Oregon Operations Office Director. "The consequence of not doing so is too great: Our valuable water resources and wildlife are put at risk."
The Malloys placed riprap, a material used to armor shorelines from waves and water erosion, along a 345 foot section of stream bank. The alleged activity was conducted in the spring of 2006 on their 63 acres of property without required Clean Water Act permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Rogue River is designated as critical habitat for threatened salmon species under the Endangered Species Act.
In addition to the removal of the riprap, the Malloys have volunteered to implement a revegetation plan along the top of the bank, which will minimize future erosion along the river bank while improving habitat for native fish.
For more information about the Clean Water Act Section 404 wetland regulatory authority, visit: http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/pdf/reg_authority_pr.pdf
For more information about Wetlands protection work, visit:
http://epa.gov/owow/wetlands
http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/functions.html
http://www.usace.army.mil/
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