United States Environmental
Protection Agency
Office of Water
May 1992
EPA840-K-92-001
OFFICE OF
WETLANDS,
OCEANS AND
WATERSHEDS
Responsibilities and Functions
owow
Office of Wcllinds, Occaiu If Wattreheds
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Officeof Wetlands, Oceans
and Watersheds (OWOW) is one of four offices within EPA's Office of Water. It
was created in April 1991 to bring together Agency programs that manage and
protect the aquatic ecosystems of inland and coastal watersheds. OWOW
combines EPA Headquarters' responsibilities for addressing nonpoint source
pollution; restoring and protecting wetland, river, lake, coastal, and marine
environments; and leading surface water monitoring and water quality assess-
ment activities. OWOW assists EPA Regional offices in implementing these
programs by developing policies and regulations, providing technical support,
and serving as an advocate for the programs with Congress and the public at
large. OWOW is organized into three divisions and a Director's Office.
OFFICE OF
THE
DIRECTOR
if I 9 9 2 if
THE YEAR OF
CLEAN WATER
Policy and Communications Staff
Manages special OWOW projects and initiatives, supports office-wide
outreach, coordinates policy and legislative activities that cut across the OWOW
divisions, and serves as the general point of contact for Congressional staff, state
and local governments, and other external groups. A priority project of the
Policy and Communications Staff is promotionof watershed protection through
cross-media, holistic aquatic resource protection and management.
Budget and Program Management Staff
Provides coordination and program management services for OWOW
including budget, planning, contract management, human resources manage-
ment, and administrative support.
Printed on Recycled Paper
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ASSESSMENT Monitoring Branch
AND Leads and supports water quality monitoring and assessment pro-
ATE R H ED grams, and designs and manages related automated information systems.
Among the Monitoring Branch’s specific responsibilities are: writing biennial
PROTECTION reports to Congress on national water quality; developing guidance on biologi-
cal methods and integrated watershed protection and assessment approaches;
DIVISION supporting and coordinating OWOW’s volunteer water monitoring program;
developing water quality indicators; coordinating Office of Wa ter (OW) surface
water monitoring programs with related programs elsewhere in EPA and in
other Federal agencies; and managing and modernizing water quality and
geographic information systems to increase the availability and usability of
water quality information nationwide.
Nonpoint Source Control Branch
Supports and implements state and Federal nonpoint source control
programs. Among this Branch’s highest priorities are developing and execut-
ing state nonpoint source control programs required by Section 319 of the Clean
Water Act and bySection62l7of theCoastal Zone Management Reauthorization
Act of 1990. The Branch develops technical guidance for best management
measures for major categories and dasses of nonpoint sources, and cooperates
with major Federal agencies (including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) in establishing effec-
tive nonpoint source control programs.
Watershed Branch
Develops national watershed-based policies and programs. These
include activities related to targeting water bodies for priority cleanup; main-
taining lists of impaired water bodies identified by the states; and developing
watershed-based total maximum daily loads. Among the Watershed Branch’s
specific responsibilities are: managing the Clean Lakes program; coordinating
an EPA-wide workgroup on habitat protection; conductingoutreach programs,
primarily through the Nonpoint Source News Notes and supporting technol-
ogy transfer and research needs.
OCEANS AND Coastal Management Branch
COASTAL Develops and implements the National Estuary Program (NEP) and
PROTECTION the Near Coastal Waters (NCW) Program. Among the Coastal Management
Branch’s specific responsibilities are: developing national policies and guidance
DIVISION for the NEP and NCW Program; providing management and institutional
assistance to NEP and NCW participants, including assistance in developing
state and local finance methods and integrating the NEP into local and state
programs; working with other branches in developing coastal success stories;
and working withother EPA and Federal programs to enhance their participation
in coastal and estuarine protection efforts.
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Coastal Technology Branch
Responsible for the scientific and technical aspects ot rnanne and
coastal pollution problems and solutions. Among the Coastal Technology
Branch’s specific responsibilities are: managing the operations and scientific
work of the Ocean Survey Vessel Peter W. Anderson; developing strategies and
technical guidance for coastal and marine monitoring programs; maintaining
the Ocean Data Evaluation System (ODES) database; developing indicators of
estuarine ecosystem health; supporting the development of marine water and
sediment criteria; supporting coastal and marine volunteer monitoring activi-
ties; communicating new and emerging technologies through various outreach
and information transfer activities; and coordinating and implementing guid-
ance for the multiagency Coastal America program.
Marine Pollution Control Branch
Carries out program and regulatory responsibilities related to marine
protection under various regulatoryauthorities forissues suchasoceandumping,
marine debris, and Clean Water Act Section 301(h) waivers. Among the Marine
Pollution Control Branch’s specific responsibilities are: developing regulations,
program and technical guidance; preparing reports to Congress; designing and
conducting surveys and assessments to evaluate marine pollution; serving as
Division lead for enforcement-related activities; coordinating marine regulatory
programs within EPA and with other Federal agencies, and representing EPA
on legal and technical committees of the London Dumping Convention and
MEPC.
Wetlands and Aquatic Resources Regulatory Branch WETLANDS
Develops regulations, policies and guidance under Section 404 and DIVISION
other related sections of the Clean Water Act. Specific responsibilities of the
Branch include: developing environmental criteria, rules and guidance for the
regulation of discharges of dredged and fill material into the waters of the U.S.,
including wetlands; providing policy and technical support to the EPA Regions
on the review of activities regulated under the River and Harbors Act and
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act; and working with other EPA Headquarters
and Regional Offices, the U.S. Army Corpsof Engineers, other Federal agencies,
and external groups in executing these responsibilities.
Wetlands Strategies and State Programs Branch
Develops and implements programs and activities to assist state, Tribal,
and local governments in protecting wetlands. Administers EPA Headquarter
responsibilities fordevelopingstatecapabilities toadministerwethnd programs,
including state wetland conservation planning and formal assumption of the
Section 404 program by qualified states. Manages public education, informa-
tion and outreach activities related to wetlands, including the Wetlands Hotline
(1-800-832-7828). Coordinates joint activities with EPA programs and other
Federal agencies concerning wetlands protection. Develops or improves ap-
proaches for wetlands protection including integrated natural resource plaruüng,
and participates in ecosystem initiatives to address problems of wetland loss
and degradation. Improves the scientific information base for wetland deci-
sion-making, which includes working with EPA’s Office of Research and
Development on wetland research issues.
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June 1992
( Policy & Communications
I Staff
Louise Wise, Chief
(2O2) 260-7166/Fax: (202)260-6294
OFFICE OF WETLANDS, OCEANS, AND WATERSHEDS
Robert H. Wayland ifi, Director
David G. Davis, Deputy Director
(202) 260-7166/Fax: (202) 260-6294
r Budget & Program
I Management Staff
Bernie Mason, Chief
. 202) 260-8580/Fax: (202) 260-6294
ASSESSMENT & WATERSHED
PROTECTION DIVISION
Geoff Grubbs, Director
Carl Myers, Deputy Director
(202) 260-7040/Fax: (202) 260-7024
Monitoring Branch
Elizabeth Jester, Chief
(202) 260-7046
I
Monitoring Information
Section Services Section
Mary Belefski, Bob King,
Chief Chief
( Watershed Branch
I
Bruce Newton, Chief
I (202)260-7074
Watershed Lakes, Grants, and
Management Section Outreach Section
Don Brady, Frank Lapensee,
Chief Chief
Nonpoint Source Control Branch
Day Weitman, Chief
(202)260-7100
Urban Sources Rural Sources
Section Section
Rod Frederick, Steve Dressing,
Chief Chief
Program Implementation
Section
Stu Tuller, Chief
WETLANDS DIVISION
John Meagher, Director
Suzanne Schwartz, Deputy DirectoT
(202)260-7791/Fax: (202) 260-2356
( Wetlands Strategies &
State Programs Branch
Glenn Eugster, Chief
(202) 260-6045
Outreach & Strategies &
State Programs Initiatives
Section Section
Jeanne Melanson Dianne Fish,
Acting Chief Chief
( Wetlands & Aquatic Resources
Regulatory Branch
Greg Peck, Chief
(202)260-1799
Enforcement & Elevated Cases
Regulatory Policy Section
Section
Cliff Rader, Will Garvey,
Chief Chief
OCEANS & COASTAL
PROTECTION DIVISION
Marian Mlay, Director
Craig Vogt, Deputy Director
(202) 260-1952/Fax: (202) 260-6294
( Coastal Technology Branch
I Karen Klima, Chief
I (202)260-9130
Science Technology
I Applications Assistance
Section Section
Steve Glomb, Stan Austin,
Acting Chief Chief
Marine Pollution Control Bran
I John Lishman, Chief
I (202) 260-8448
Marine Ocean Dumping /
I Discharge Marine Debris
Section Section
John Lishman,, David Redford,
Acting Chief Chief
Coastal Management Branch
I Mark Curran, Chief
I (202) 260-6502
Northeast and Southeast-Gull
Great Lakes Coast and West Coasts
I Section Section
Ruth Chemerys, Eric Slaughter,
L Chief Chief
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