Water Quality > Permits - Point Source Pollution > Aquatic Pesticide Permits > Aquatic Noxious Weed Control NPDES General Permit

Aquatic Noxious Weed Control NPDES General Permit

The general permit covers the indirect discharge of herbicides, adjuvants, and marker dyes into estuaries, marine areas, wetlands, along lake shorelines, rivers, streams, and other wet areas to manage Spartina and freshwater noxious weeds in Washington. An indirect discharge occurs when there may be incidental overspray or dripping of a chemical from the treated plants into waters of the state.

Ecology issued the new Aquatic Noxious Weed Management General Permit 

•   New Permit (issued 1/18/12 and effective 2/17/12)
•   Response to Comments - Addendum to the Fact Sheet (1/18/12)
•   Addendum to the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
• Fact Sheet (October 5, 2011)

Public Comments on the October 5, 2011 Draft Permit

Public Notice Process and Comments

Ecology accepted written comments on the draft permit, fact sheet, and supplemental environmental impact statement from October 5, 2011 until November 18, 2011. Ecology held one public hearing and workshop on the permit November 10, 2011, in Lacey, Washington.

Apply here for an Aquatic Noxious Weed Control NPDES General Permit

More Permit Information

Contact Information

Current Permit Documents

• Aquatic Noxious Weed Permit (Effective February 16, 2008)
• Response to Comments (2008)
• Focus Sheet
• Fact Sheet (2007)

Purpose of the Permit

The Aquatic Noxious Weed Management General Permit (permit) regulates the use of pesticides and other products applied to manage Washington state-listed noxious weeds and Washington state quarantine-listed weeds where pesticides or other products may indirectly enter the state’s surface waters. An indirect application occurs when there may be inadvertent and incidental overspray or dripping of a chemical from the treated plants into waters of the state.

The permit covers all marine and freshwater activities that result in a discharge of herbicides, adjuvants, and marker dyes indirectly into streams, rivers, estuaries, marine areas, wetlands, along lake shorelines, and other wet areas. The permit also covers the treatment of noxious and quarantine-listed vegetation for roadside/ditch bank management activities where chemicals may indirectly enter the water. This permit does not apply to the in-water application of chemicals directly into lakes, ponds, streams, or rivers to manage freshwater noxious and quarantine-listed weeds. The Aquatic Plant and Algae Management General Permit is the appropriate permit for any in-water projects.