Section 404 permitting in coastal Texas: a longitudinal analysis of the relationship between peak streamflow and wetland alteration.

As early as the passage of the 1972 Federal Water Pollution Control Act the U.S. government has sought to protect the nation's water resources through regulatory tools. While there has been a large amount of research on wetlands and wetland mitigation, very little is known about the impact of Section 404 permitting on water quantity. This research examines the impact of Section 404 permit types on peak annual streamflow in Coastal Texas from 1996 to 2003. Results of cross-sectional time-series regression analyses indicate that all four permit types have positive and significant effects on peak streamflow. These effects also vary by permit type, with Individual permits having the highest per-permit impact on peak annual flow.