La. Admin. Code tit. 43 § XV-5323

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section XV-5323 - Hydrologic Balance: Diversions

A. General Requirements

1. With the approval of the office, any flow from mined areas abandoned before May 3, 1978, and any flow from undisturbed areas or reclaimed areas, after meeting the criteria of §5327 for siltation structure removal, may be diverted from disturbed areas by means of temporary or permanent diversions. All diversions shall be designed to minimize adverse impacts to the hydrologic balance within the permit and adjacent areas, to prevent material damage outside the permit area and to assure the safety of the public. Diversions shall not be used to divert water into underground mines without approval of the office under §5345

2. The diversion and its appurtenant structures shall be designed, located, constructed, maintained and used to:

a. be stable;

b. provide protection against flooding and resultant damage to life and property;

c. prevent, to the extent possible using the best technology currently available, additional contributions of suspended solids to streamflow outside the permit area; and

d. comply with all applicable local, state and federal laws and regulations.

3. Temporary diversions shall be removed promptly when no longer needed to achieve the purpose for which they were authorized. The land disturbed by the removal process shall be restored in accordance with this Chapter. Before diversions are removed, downstream water-treatment facilities previously protected by the diversion shall be modified or removed, as necessary, to prevent overtopping or failure of the facilities. This requirement shall not relieve the operator from maintaining water-treatment facilities as otherwise required. A permanent diversion or a stream channel reclaimed after the removal of a temporary diversion shall be designed and constructed so as to restore or approximate the premining characteristics of the original stream channel including the natural riparian vegetation to promote the recovery and the enhancement of the aquatic habitat.

4. The office may specify design criteria for diversions to meet the requirements of this Section.

B. Diversion of Perennial and Intermittent Streams

1. Diversion of perennial and intermittent streams within the permit area may be approved by the office after making the finding relating to stream buffer zones that the diversion will not adversely affect the water quantity and quality and related environmental resources of the stream.

2. The design capacity of channels for temporary and permanent stream channel diversions shall be at least equal to the capacity of the unmodified stream channel immediately upstream and downstream from the diversion.

3. The requirements of §5323. A.2.b shall be met when the temporary and permanent diversions for perennial and intermittent streams are designed so that the combination of channel, bank and floodplain configuration is adequate to pass safely the peak runoff of a 10-year, 6-hour precipitation event for a temporary diversion and a 100-year, 6-hour precipitation event for a permanent diversion.

4. The design and construction of all stream channel diversions of perennial and intermittent streams shall be certified by a qualified registered professional engineer as meeting the performance standards of this Chapter and any design criteria set by the office.

C. Diversion of Miscellaneous Flows

1. Miscellaneous flows, which consist of all flows except for perennial and intermittent streams, may be diverted away from disturbed areas if required or approved by the office. Miscellaneous flows shall include ground-water discharges and ephemeral streams.

2. The design, location, construction, maintenance and removal of diversions of miscellaneous flows shall meet all of the performance standards set forth in §5323 A

3. The requirements of §5323. A.2.b shall be met when the temporary and permanent diversions for miscellaneous flows are designed so that the combination of channel, bank and floodplain configuration is adequate to pass safely the peak runoff of a 2-year, 6-hour precipitation event for a temporary diversion and a 10-year, 6-hour precipitation event for a permanent diversion.

La. Admin. Code tit. 43, § XV-5323

Promulgated by the Department of Natural Resources, Office of Conservation, LR 5:395 (December 1979), amended LR 6:177 (May 1980), LR 14:441 (July 1988), LR 20:447 (April 1994).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 30:901-932.