Course Overview

This course provides environmental professionals, consultants, regulators, and natural resource practitioners with hands-on training in applying the National Ordinary High Water Mark (OHWM) Field Delineation Manual for Rivers and Streams (released jointly by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in January 2025). Through a combination of online self-paced instruction and reading (4 hours) completed in advance followed by a half day in person field-practicum, participants learn how to identify and evaluate geomorphic, sediment, vegetation, and other physical indicators; complete the national OHWM datasheet; and apply the weight-of-evidence approach to develop technically sound and defensible OHWM determinations. Using real-world stream settings, students gain practical experience documenting, interpreting, and justifying OHWM boundaries in a variety of channel conditions, improving their ability to conduct consistent and reliable delineations that withstand regulatory and technical review.

About the Instructors:

Bibi Whited is a former USACE Senior Ecologist with over 40 years of experience in wetland delineation and regulatory policy. Ms. Whited participated directly in the development of the National Ordinary High Water Mark Field Delineation Manual and the NCNE Regional Supplement, and has implemented wetland programs and conducted delineations across multiple USACE districts.

Tim Smith has more than 25 years of experience implementing regulatory programs, including 20 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers across three districts. As Technical Services Section Chief for the Corps’ St. Paul District Regulatory Branch, he oversaw Clean Water Act enforcement and compliance and served as an expert evaluating jurisdiction and regulated discharges.

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