I was reviewing our Google Earth file of 8-Digit HUC’s and and it occurred to me an image of all the HUC’s nationwide might make for a fun and informative post on the RS blog.

When learning about the business and policy of mitigation banking people will often ask, “Can a wetland or stream restored in North Carolina [for instance] compensate for a permit issued in California?”  Emphatically no —  I’ll answer.

The general rule of thumb is that each individual bank is assigned a Service Area, which includes a small assemblage of 8-Digt HUC”s — the polygons you see below — or fewer if the demand is stronger.

In all southeastern U.S. Army Corps Districts — with the exception of Wilmington, North Carolina — you are allowed, according to standard operating procedure, adjacent HUC’s in your Service Area for mitigation if no other bank is present.  So, take two or three of the polygon areas in this image and you are looking at a typical Mitigation Bank Service Area in the Southeast.

Interesting figure, huh?

Nationwide 8-Digit USGS Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUC’s)